Rep. Mark Messmer (R-Indiana) introduced the SNAP Online Access Act on Tuesday to make permanent a pilot program that supports American families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The pilot program has proven effective by providing families with a modern, streamlined way to purchase groceries online. Making the program permanent would also provide regulatory certainty to grocery and convenience stores that serve their local communities.
“SNAP online purchasing has become an essential part of how families access food today. NACS strongly supports the SNAP Online Access Act and making the program permanent so SNAP retailers will have the regulatory clarity needed to keep investing in and improving this service to strengthen food access across the country,” said Margaret Mannion, National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) director of government relations.
Since its launch in 2019, the pilot program has expanded from eight retailers in eight states to hundreds of grocers across the United States.
The bill also provides the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the oversight parameters it needs to ensure taxpayer dollars remain protected.
“The SNAP Online Access Act makes grocery shopping more convenient for families who are working hard to support themselves,” Messmer said. “Giving this program permanence encourages retailers, state agencies and customer advocates to support SNAP participants with a more modern approach to feeding their families.”
New SNAP requirements took effect Feb. 1 and include updated work requirements for beneficiaries.
Under the new rules, people who do not meet the criteria may collect SNAP benefits for no more than three months in any three-year period. Some states are giving recipients until May 1 to meet the eligibility requirements, which include the following:
To qualify for the federally funded program, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 without dependents must work, attend an approved job training program, or perform community service at least 80 hours per month to receive SNAP benefits. Previously, the upper age limit was 54.
Parents with dependent children ages 14 or older are now subject to the new work requirements, down from the previous minimum age of 18.
Veterans, people under 25 who recently left foster care, and people experiencing homelessness are no longer exempt from the work requirements.
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