State
BY HANNAH NORTON
Texas bars buying sweets with SNAP
274K Texans apply for education savings accounts Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches some low-income applicants, the state comptrol- ler’s o ce announced April 2. The big picture "It’s always hard to have to turn people away. We don’t want any families who are
As of April 1, Texans can no longer use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, bene ts to purchase sweetened beverages and candy. The details The changes come after state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 379 in 2025. Under the law, Texas’ 3.5 million SNAP enrollees cannot use food stamps to buy drinks con- taining any arti cial sweeteners or at least 5 grams of added sugar. Candy is also banned, while sweetened snacks, like ice cream, are still allowed. It is up to Texas businesses to determine which items are no longer SNAP-eligible, update their store purchase systems and train sta on the restrictions, according to the state.
turned away in year one due to lack of available funds to get discouraged." TRAVIS PILLOW, PROGRAM SPOKESPERSON
Texas Education Freedom Accounts will give participating families state funds for private edu- cation or homeschooling. Over 274,000 students applied for the rst year of the program, and about 247,00 were deemed eligible. Most eligible students will be placed on a wait- list for the 2026-27 school year, with the $1 billion program expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State o cials said all funds will go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families. Nearly 30,000 students are expected to receive top priority for funding based on their disability status and income, and the comptroller will run a lottery to determine which
of the 79,000 low-income applicants are accepted. Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 in TEFA funding, depending on their indi- vidual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 to spend on private school expenses or up to $2,000 for homeschooling. The comptroller’s o ce said it would notify families in April if they are accepted into the program, and participants will begin receiving funds this summer.
Judge pauses state ban on smokable hemp products
Impact on Texas businesses
The following rules remain in e ect ahead of the April 23 hearing: • A more than 3,000% increase in licensing fees • Stricter packaging and labeling requirements • A prohibition on sales to customers under 21 Guerra Gamble temporarily blocked these rules: • New testing requirements banning most smokable hemp products • A restriction on transporting hemp products between states
experts said outlawed most smokable products containing the natural hemp ower. In an April 10 ruling, Travis County Judge Maya Guerra Gamble lifted that restriction, citing “immediate and signi cant economic harm” faced by businesses that cannot sell smokable products. Guerra Gamble kept in place heightened licens- ing fees for hemp businesses, with an additional hearing scheduled for April 23.
A Travis County judge temporarily blocked some of Texas’ sweeping new regulations on the consumable hemp industry, allowing thousands of businesses to continue selling smokable products. What’s happening On March 31, the state health department enacted a rule changing how THC levels are measured in consumable hemp, which industry
SOURCES: TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES COMMUNITY IMPACT
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