Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that the State of Missouri has submitted a waiver request to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to alter Missouri’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to refocus the program and support the purchase of healthy foods.
Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 25-30, ordering the Director of DSS to prepare and submit a waiver to FNS to alter Missouri’s SNAP program in a manner that prioritizes healthy foods and nutritional value, discourages foods that are high in added sugar and are ultra-processed, and supports Missouri agriculture.
Governor Kehoe’s executive order calls for modifications to Missouri’s SNAP program designed to refocus the program to support the purchase of a wide variety of whole and minimally processed healthy food categories, including, but not limited to:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Meat, fish, poultry, and other proteins
- Dairy products
- Whole grains and bread products
- Legumes
Governor Kehoe has also committed to exploring an additional waiver request to allow for the purchase of hot, ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken – an affordable source of protein.
You can read more about the executive order here.