Florida announces first-in-the-nation welfare restrictions on tattoos, pornography, vapes
The new rules will also cover video games, theme park admission, entertainment subscriptions, spa services, and other purchases deemed non-essential.
Florida announced Aug. 24 that it has become the first state in the nation to restrict Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) benefits from being used to purchase tattoos, vaping products, pornography, and a range of other items officials describe as inappropriate, luxury, or non-essential.
According to a press release from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, the state will amend its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) plan governing TCA, which provides monthly cash aid via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to low-income families with children under 18 and certain pregnant women.
“Florida has become the first in the nation to set guardrails on our TANF State Plan to stop these taxpayer-funded benefits from being used to purchase inappropriate, luxury, and non-essential goods and services,” DeSantis said in the release. “Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence.”
DeSantis said the state would continue to support Floridians “who genuinely need assistance,” while also working “to improve accountability and transparency so that these programs operate as intended.”
Under the amended plan, TCA beneficiaries will no longer be able to use the money to purchase tobacco, nicotine, vaping products, drugs or intoxicants, pornography, video games, entertainment tickets, theme park admission, entertainment subscriptions, tattoos, spa services, tanning, or psychic and fortune-telling services.
Florida already prohibits the use of EBT cards to purchase alcohol or make payments at adult-entertainment venues, casinos, and commercial bingo halls, the release stated.
According to the release, the new rules also align TCA purchasing restrictions with the state’s Healthy Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) initiative. Since April 20, Florida has prohibited SNAP benefits from covering soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed desserts.
The release said Florida will implement the new TCA restrictions in phases, starting with SNAP-authorized retailers and later expanding transaction-level controls to other prohibited goods and services.
Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex Adams told Fox News that federal officials want other states to follow Florida’s example.
According to Adams, 27 states have not adopted restrictions on where EBT cards may be used beyond those required by federal law, and most states place no limits on the specific items recipients may purchase.
“While Florida is the first state, hopefully it’s not the last state,” Adams told the outlet, adding that the agency plans to highlight Florida’s model as “a best practice” for other states.
