U.S. Senators Voice Concerns to USDA on SNAP Proposal

Nearly half of the U.S. Senate signed a letter urging the USDA to revise its proposed rule.

August 04, 2016

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, 47 senators sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the agency to revise its proposed rule altering retailer eligibility requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The letter, spearheaded by Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), raises concerns that the proposed SNAP regulations would make it overly burdensome for small-format retailers to participate in the program, which will have a drastic impact on access for beneficiaries.

“Many SNAP recipients in communities with limited access to large grocery stores rely upon small-format stores, including neighborhood stores, drugstores and convenience stores, for SNAP purchases,” states the letter.

When Congress changed the SNAP retailer eligibility requirements in the 2014 Farm Bill, it balanced the need to increase SNAP beneficiaries’ access to nutrient-rich foods while ensuring the stocking requirements were achievable for small-format retailers. Members of Congress realized that many SNAP beneficiaries depend on small stores for food access and wanted to keep them in the program. Ignoring this carefully crafted balance, the proposed rule released in February contains problematic provisions for retailers that were never considered by Congress—and lawmakers are concerned.

According to the senators, “The cost and burden of complying with the proposed rule could be too high for these retailers to continue participating in SNAP. This would result in the exact opposite of what is intended—it would reduce access to healthy food for SNAP participants.”

The Senate letter echoes concerns shared by more than 20 members of the Congressional Black Caucus and 161 members of the House of Representatives, who sent letters to the USDA this spring.

The comment period for the proposed rule ended on May 18. During the comment period, NACS and hundreds of convenience retailers, filed comment letters asserting that if the proposed rule goes into effect, convenience stores will be forced out of the program and SNAP beneficiaries will be negatively impacted. USDA is in the process of reviewing all of the comments and drafting a final rule, which will then be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget before it is published and goes into effect.

Stay tuned to NACS Daily for updates on the rulemaking process.

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