SNAP Online Sales and Delivery Standards

Summary#

This bill adds new rules to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to cover online sales and delivery of foods bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. It tells the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to write standards for safe online use and for safe, fair food delivery. Retailers who accept SNAP must report compliance, and those who do not comply can lose their SNAP authorization.

• Main change: FNS must create standards for online/mobile SNAP transactions (privacy and cybersecurity) and for delivery services (worker conditions including paying prevailing wages, and food safety during delivery).
• Timing: FNS must issue standards within 18 months of enactment. The Department of Agriculture must issue regulations requiring retailer reports within 18 months after that.
• Enforcement: Retailers or wholesalers that fail to meet the standards will lose SNAP authorization; they may reapply after showing they comply.
• Who is involved: FNS must consult with FSIS, FDA, OSTP, and “relevant stakeholders” when making standards.

What it means for you#

• SNAP participants (people using benefits):

  • Online and mobile purchases with SNAP may be subject to new privacy and cybersecurity rules intended to protect user data.
  • Delivery of SNAP purchases could be required to meet food-safety rules during transport.

• Retailers and wholesalers authorized to accept SNAP:

  • If you accept SNAP online or offer delivery for SNAP purchases, you will need to follow the new online and delivery standards once they are set.
  • You will have to submit a report to the Department of Agriculture describing how you meet those standards.
  • Failure to comply can lead to losing the ability to accept SNAP; you can reapply only after showing compliance.

• Delivery workers and delivery services:

  • Delivery standards are to “aim” to promote fair and safe working conditions, including paying prevailing wages. This could change pay or work rules for people who deliver SNAP purchases.
  • The bill does not define which workers are covered (employees vs. contractors).

• Government agencies:

  • FNS must lead the standards work and consult several federal agencies and others.
  • The Department of Agriculture will run the reporting requirement and enforcement of authorization.

• General public / others:

  • If retailers find compliance costly, some may stop offering online SNAP acceptance or delivery, which could reduce choices for SNAP households. This is a possible effect but not stated in the bill.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

• The bill does not include a fiscal note or an explicit budget estimate.
• Likely areas of cost (not quantified by the bill):
  • Costs for USDA agencies to develop standards, run rulemaking, monitor reports, and enforce compliance.
  • Compliance costs for retailers: updating online platforms for privacy/cybersecurity, changing delivery practices, and meeting any wage or worker-safety requirements.
  • Possible increased costs for delivery companies or workers if prevailing-wage requirements apply.
  • Possible indirect costs if some small retailers stop participating in SNAP to avoid compliance expenses.

Proponents' View#

The bill appears intended to address gaps that emerged as SNAP moved online and as food delivery became more common.

• The bill appears intended to protect SNAP participants’ digital privacy and make online/mobile purchases safer.
• It appears intended to improve food safety during delivery, reducing risks from improper transport.
• The bill appears intended to promote fair and safe working conditions for delivery workers, by including a requirement to aim for paying prevailing wages.
• It would create a clear compliance and enforcement path: standards, reporting, and loss of authorization for noncompliance.

Opponents' View#

The bill’s text leaves some practical questions unanswered and may create trade-offs.

• One concern is that the bill does not define key terms such as “prevailing wages,” which workers are covered, or what counts as sufficient cybersecurity and privacy protections. This makes enforcement unclear.
• The bill does not explain how the Department will monitor or verify retailer reports, or how audits and appeals would work.
• A possible trade-off is higher costs for retailers and delivery services. Those costs could be passed to consumers or cause some retailers—especially small stores—to stop accepting SNAP online or offering delivery.
• The bill may increase administrative and enforcement work for USDA and other federal agencies; how those costs will be funded is not specified.
• It is unclear how the standards will apply to third-party delivery platforms (app companies) versus the stores that sell the food.