Authorizes the use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to purchase online groceries in accordance with federal laws and regulations and relates to the state supplemental nutrition assistance program outreach program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A10673
SPONSOR: Rules (Hevesi) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to using supple-
mental nutrition assistance program benefits to purchase online
groceries and to the state supplemental nutrition assistance program
outreach program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To codify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program online purchas-
ing pilot program to ensure SNAP participants have safe and alternative
methods to access groceries.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the social service law to require the office to seek
necessary federal approval needed to enter into an agreement with all
retailers prepared to offer SNAP online purchasing programs. The office
will also have to create a plan to maximize online purchasing options.
Section 2 explicitly allows SNAP beneficiaries to use SNAP benefits to
purchase groceries from eligible online grocery retailers and to have
groceries delivered pursuant to federal laws and regulations.
Section 3 amends the outreach program to include information about the
delivery option. Makes amendments to address the statutory change of
name for the SNAP benefits program.
Section 4 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
JUSTIFICATION:
Program (SNAP) helps low-income individuals, senior citizens, the disa-
bled and others feed their families. Millions of people in New York look
to the SNAP program to address the State's growing food insecurity
crisis. However, many vulnerable populations who depend on SNAP benefits
are struggling to access food in a safe manner. SNAP beneficiaries are
now looking to grocery delivery services as a safe and alternative
option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the USDA launched a two-year SNAP pilot program in New York
State, which permits SNAP recipients to pay for and order their
groceries online with participating retailers. It is critical to codify
the participation in the pilot program and make the program permanent
after the pilot finishes. The legislation also ensures the state enters
into an agreement with any eligible grocery retailer, so the program can
serve as many participants as possible.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to encourage individuals to
stay at home.to prevent the spread of the virus. Yet, even with the stay
at home orders, there is still a lack of awareness about being able to
order groceries online with SNAP benefits. Therefore, the bill requires
the State's SNAP outreach program to now include information about the
SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot program and any subsequent programs.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10673
IN ASSEMBLY
June 24, 2020
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Hevesi) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to using supple-
mental nutrition assistance program benefits to purchase online
groceries and to the state supplemental nutrition assistance program
outreach program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 95 of the social
2 services law is relettered paragraph (c) and a new paragraph (b) is
3 added to read as follows:
4 (b) The office shall promptly seek necessary federal approval needed
5 to enter into an agreement with all grocery retailers prepared to offer
6 SNAP online purchasing or subsequently available programs in order to
7 maximize availability of online fresh food purchasing options throughout
8 the state. Within one hundred eighty days after the effective date of
9 this paragraph, the office shall develop a plan to maximize SNAP online
10 purchasing options in the state. The office shall periodically review
11 and revise the plan. The plan, and any updates of such plan, shall be
12 submitted to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the tempo-
13 rary president of the senate. The office shall continue to seek all
14 necessary waivers from the United States department of agriculture, food
15 and nutrition service, to the extent necessary for the office to carry
16 out the plan, pursuant to federal law and regulations.
17 § 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph a of subdivision 7 of section 95 of
18 the social services law, as separately amended by chapter 41 and section
19 3 of part A of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as
20 follows:
21 (i) May be redeemed for SNAP benefits at designated redemption centers
22 by the recipient or by an authorized representative. When an eligible
23 recipient under this section is issued SNAP benefits, such SNAP benefits
24 may be used to purchase food items from a food distributor by the recip-
25 ient or by an authorized representative. Recipients shall be able to
26 use SNAP benefits to purchase groceries from eligible online grocery
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16185-03-0
A. 10673 2
1 retailers and to have groceries delivered pursuant to federal laws and
2 regulations. Any other transfer or sale of authorizations to participate
3 or SNAP benefits shall constitute an unauthorized use of said authori-
4 zations or benefits;
5 § 3. Section 95-a of the social services law, as added by chapter 546
6 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
7 § 95-a. State [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assistance program
8 outreach program. 1. In accordance with federal requirements and to
9 the extent that federal matching funds are available, the department
10 shall develop and implement an outreach plan to inform low-income house-
11 holds potentially eligible to receive [food stamps] supplemental nutri-
12 tion assistance program benefits of the availability and benefits of the
13 program, including information on the federal SNAP Online Purchasing
14 Pilot program or subsequent programs, and to encourage the participation
15 of eligible households that wish to participate.
16 2. In developing and implementing such a plan the department and/or
17 its local districts are authorized and empowered, subject to the
18 approval of the director of the budget and provided that federal aid is
19 available therefor, to enter into contractual agreements with public
20 and/or private organizations to develop and implement local, regional,
21 and statewide outreach programs.
22 3. Each commissioner of social services shall develop and submit to
23 the department on an annual basis for its approval, a local outreach
24 plan governing the use of local social services personnel and services
25 provided by federally funded and other agencies and organizations to
26 inform potentially eligible households of the availability and benefits
27 of the program and to encourage and facilitate the participation of
28 eligible households. The department shall provide commissioners of
29 social services with technical assistance as needed to carry out the
30 provisions of this subdivision.
31 4. As part of each local outreach plan, social services officials
32 shall take all steps necessary to maintain a supply of information leaf-
33 lets in public buildings, including but not limited to local unemploy-
34 ment insurance and employment services offices of the department of
35 labor, institutions and facilities under the supervision or control of
36 the department of health, food stores, union halls, community centers
37 and local agencies providing services to the elderly to help insure that
38 eligible persons are informed of the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition
39 assistance program.
40 5. The department shall periodically distribute to all newspapers, and
41 to television and radio stations throughout the state, public service
42 announcements describing the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assist-
43 ance program, including the toll-free telephone numbers for [food stamp]
44 supplemental nutrition assistance program information, and shall prompt-
45 ly inform such media of significant changes in the program affecting
46 eligibility requirements and/or the amount of the [food stamp] supple-
47 mental nutrition assistance program bonus.
48 6. The department shall establish procedures in cooperation with the
49 industrial commissioner of the department of labor to ensure that infor-
50 mational leaflets about the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assist-
51 ance program are sent to each local employment services office for
52 distribution pursuant to section five hundred [and] forty of the labor
53 law. Each leaflet shall include but not be limited to: the phone number
54 for the New York State [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assistance
55 hotline, estimated maximum income eligibility levels by household size
56 for participation in the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assistance
A. 10673 3
1 program and the availability of local social services departments to
2 provide additional information about the program.
3 7. In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations
4 the department shall make available appropriate bilingual materials so
5 that potentially eligible non English speaking individuals may be
6 informed about the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assistance
7 program.
8 8. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations, and take
9 all other actions necessary for the effective implementation of this
10 section.
11 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
