In August 2026, Florida became the first U.S. state to bar recipients of welfare cash assistance from spending it on tattoos, vaping products, theme park tickets and other “nonessential” items.
The claim is correct in that Florida became the first state to implement item-specific restrictions for recipients of its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program at the point of sale. However …
… other states across the U.S. also block similar purchases through other means. So while the claim is technically correct, Florida is not the first state to block the purchase of certain kinds of items using government funds through other means.
In September 2026, a claim circulated online that Florida had become the first U.S. state to bar recipients of temporary cash assistance from spending it on “nonessential” items such as tattoos, tobacco, drugs, pornography and more.
For example, one popular Facebook post with more than 120,000 likes reads, in part (archived):
The program, funded through the federal TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] program and delivered via EBT [electronic benefit transfer] cards, gives eligible families with children under 18 an average of about $250 a month for basic living costs. Under the amended plan, that money can no longer go toward tobacco and nicotine products, vaping devices, drugs or intoxicants, p*rnography, video games, theme park admission, entertainment subscriptions, tattoos and body piercings, spa and tanning services, or psychic and fortune-telling services.
(Facebook user It’s A Guy Thing)
In short, the claim is correct in that Florida has become the first state to implement item-specific restrictions for TANF recipients at the point of sale, but other states across the U.S. also block similar purchases through other means. So while the claim is technically correct, Florida is not the first state to block the purchase of certain kinds of items using government funds through other means.
Some posts, such as the one above, do not specify the date that the change took place — potentially misleading people into believing the change occurred in September. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis actually first announced the move on Aug. 24, 2026 (archived).
In a news release published that same day, De Santis said (archived):
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. 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. We will continue supporting Floridians who genuinely need assistance, while working to improve accountability and transparency so that these programs operate as intended.
The full list of new prohibited products was outlined in the 2026-2028 Florida TANF State Plan as follows:
- Tobacco, Nicotine, Vaping and other associated products
- Drugs, intoxicants, and related products
- Pornography, sexually explicit materials, and adult-oriented goods or services
- Entertainment goods, subscriptions, and services such as video games, entertainment tickets, theme parks, and subscriptions/memberships
- Body art, jewelry and body piercings, cosmetic services and luxury items such as tattoos, spa services, and tanning
- Psychic, fortune-telling and divination goods or services
- Political contributions
- Lottery tickets and entries, sports wagers and bets
- Soda
- Energy drinks
- Candy
- Ultra-processed prepared desserts
Further down in De Santis’ announcement, it notes that the state already prohibits several kinds of items using welfare assistance:
Florida already prohibits EBT card use or acceptance for alcohol purchases and transactions at adult entertainment establishments, pari-mutuel wagering facilities, slot machine facilities, commercial bingo establishments and casinos or gaming facilities. Florida’s EBT vendor blocks point-of-sale transactions at those businesses and ATM transactions at prohibited locations. The first-in-the-nation policy expands those controls to additional items and services at eligible retailers.
The difference between Florida and other states is that it amended its existing limits for purchases at certain locations (such as liquor stores or casinos) to include the use of temporary cash assistance for specific items at the point of sale (PDF page 69).
Some items, including drugs such as recreational marijuana, are already criminalized in the state of Florida.
