Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced Monday that Florida will become the first state to ban the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) funds for “inappropriate” non-essential purchases like tobacco, pornography, tattoos, and video games.
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DeSantis made the announcement during a news conference at Feeding Tampa Bay, a regional food bank and nonprofit organization based in Tampa, Florida.
He said the amended plan would prohibit EBT cards from being used to purchase:
• Tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products
• Drugs and intoxicants
• Pornography and adult content
• Video games
• Theme park subscriptions and entertainment tickets
• Tattoos, spa services, and tanning
• Psychic and fortune-telling services
“Obviously some of these cards are [being used by] people who don’t need it and it’s just fraud,” the governor said. “They’re milking the system, they’re not really needy, they’re scam artists.”
DeSantis stressed that the policy aims to ensure taxpayer-funded aid is used to provide necessities like food, clothing, and medicine to truly needy individuals, while reducing fraud.
“If somebody really is needy, we just want to make sure that money is going to the things that are going to help that individual,” he said.
The new prohibitions build upon existing bans on alcohol and gambling at adult entertainment or gaming facilities. Implementation will occur in phases, starting with SNAP-authorized retailers, and requires approval from the Trump administration. DeSantis said the state was in the process of drafting a formal letter to the federal government requesting the additional restrictions.
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“Ultimately the strength of our economy and society is not how many can we get EBT cards to, but how many people can we liberate from needing an EBT card in the first place,“ said DeSantis.
Officials stated the changes will not reduce benefit amounts or affect family eligibility.
“EBT should not be used for things like tobacco and tanning beds,” DeSantis posted on X, Tuesday. “Glad that the Trump admin will be approving these changes that the Biden admin would not.”
Florida and 23 other states have already amended regulations to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programs to limit what recipients can purchase. This includes a ban on sugary beverages and foods, but in June, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. blocked the Trump administration from preventing SNAP recipients in five of the states from using their benefits to buy the sugary products.
Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the U.S. Department of Agriculture lacked the authority under federal law to approve state requests to bar SNAP recipients from using benefits to buy sugary foods and drinks and argued the restrictions would undermine their access to food.
