Louisiana SNAP hot-food waiver expires Aug. 13 after Tropical Storm Arthur

Louisiana SNAP households have a short remaining window to use a temporary disaster waiver for eligible hot and prepared foods. The exception expires Aug. 13, 2026.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 5, the waiver is still in effect statewide. Counting Aug. 5 through Aug. 13, nine calendar days remain; there are eight full days after today before the expiration date.

What changed

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Louisiana’s waiver on July 15 after Tropical Storm Arthur, which began June 17, and related power outages. The waiver took effect immediately. The Louisiana Department of Health publicly announced it on July 20.

During the waiver period, all Louisiana SNAP households may use their existing benefits to buy eligible hot or prepared foods at authorized Louisiana retailers. The waiver applies statewide, not only in communities directly affected by the storm.

The change does not add money to EBT accounts. It is not an emergency allotment or D-SNAP, and households do not receive additional SNAP funds because of the waiver.

Restaurant meals remain excluded

The temporary permission applies only to eligible food sold by retailers authorized to accept SNAP. Restaurant meals remain excluded under this waiver.

Residents should not assume that every grocery store, convenience store or other food seller accepts SNAP or is ready to process hot-food purchases. The retailer must be authorized, the item must qualify and the store’s transaction system must be updated for the temporary rule.

Why a card may not work immediately

USDA says retailer systems may require 24 to 36 hours to update. A store also may need to confirm that its location is authorized and able to process eligible hot or prepared foods before a transaction will go through.

SNAP recipients can ask an authorized retailer whether the waiver has been activated before selecting hot food. Confirming first may help avoid a declined transaction at checkout.

What happens after Aug. 13

Unless officials announce a separate change, the temporary permission ends after Aug. 13, 2026. Normal SNAP rules then resume, including the general restriction on hot foods and foods prepared for immediate consumption.

Residents with case-specific questions should use Louisiana’s official SNAP assistance channels rather than rely on assumptions at a particular store. The waiver creates a temporary purchasing option, but it does not change a household’s benefit balance or make restaurant purchases eligible.

Sources

• USDA: Louisiana Disaster Nutrition Assistance
• Louisiana Department of Health: SNAP hot-food waiver
• KATC: Hot foods waiver issued for SNAP