Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act of 2020
Latest action (15 May 2020): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 6904, the Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act of 2020, would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to expand food-delivery options for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the coronavirus pandemic. It would require USDA to inform retailers of ways to deliver food, such as swiping EBT cards via mobile device or preparing orders for pickup, and to authorize partnerships between USDA, retailers, and community organizations, including use of private funds. States would have to submit plans for organizing delivery and reimbursements. Retailers unable to cover delivery costs could be reimbursed—up to $10 per delivery—if they meet conditions including paying at least minimum wage, providing COVID-19 safety training, remaining neutral in union organizing, and limiting personal protective equipment costs to 10% of reimbursement funds. The bill appropriates $500 million for this purpose, with additional funds authorized as needed.
The bill primarily affects SNAP recipients—particularly seniors, immunocompromised individuals, and others unable to safely shop in person—along with SNAP-authorized retailers, their delivery employees, and state agencies administering the program. It aims to make food delivery more accessible and financially feasible during the pandemic while setting labor and safety standards for delivery workers.
This authority would end when the relevant federal and state COVID-19 emergency declarations are lifted, with unused funds returned to the Treasury and a report due to Congress afterward. The bill was introduced on May 15, 2020, and referred to the House Agriculture and Budget Committees. It did not receive a vote and did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase access to food delivery under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) national emergency.
Specifically, the bill
• requires USDA to notify authorized program retailers of existing opportunities through which they can deliver food to SNAP participants, including allowing an electronic benefit transfer card to be swiped on delivery of food to the home (with a mobile device);
• authorizes public-private partnerships between USDA, authorized program retailers, and community-based organizations to support food delivery, including through the use of private funds;
• provides funding, which USDA must use to reimburse certain retailers for the costs of delivering food to program participants who are seniors, immunocompromised individuals, or other individuals who are unable to travel safely to a program retailer; and
• requires each state to submit a plan that describes how it will coordinate with program retailers and community-based partners to expand delivery, administer reimbursements, and ensure retailers meet eligibility requirements.
Authority for USDA to carry out the bill with respect to each state shall terminate on the later of (1) the date on which the national emergency declared by the President with respect to COVID-19 is terminated, and (2) the date on which the state emergency declared in such state with respect to COVID-19 is terminated.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 6904 do?
- H.R. 6904, the Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act of 2020, would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to expand food-delivery options for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the coronavirus pandemic. It would require USDA to inform retailers of ways to deliver food, such as swiping EBT cards via mobile device or preparing orders for pickup, and to authorize partnerships between USDA, retailers, and community organizations, including use of private funds. States would have to submit plans for organizing delivery and reimbursements. Retailers unable to cover delivery costs could be reimbursed—up to $10 per delivery—if they meet conditions including paying at least minimum wage, providing COVID-19 safety training, remaining neutral in union organizing, and limiting personal protective equipment costs to 10% of reimbursement funds. The bill appropriates $500 million for this purpose, with additional funds authorized as needed. The bill primarily affects SNAP recipients—particularly seniors, immunocompromised individuals, and others unable to safely shop in person—along with SNAP-authorized retailers, their delivery employees, and state agencies administering the program. It aims to make food delivery more accessible and financially feasible during the pandemic while setting labor and safety standards for delivery workers. This authority would end when the relevant federal and state COVID-19 emergency declarations are lifted, with unused funds returned to the Treasury and a report due to Congress afterward. The bill was introduced on May 15, 2020, and referred to the House Agriculture and Budget Committees. It did not receive a vote and did not become law.
- Has H.R. 6904 become law?
- Not yet. As of 15 May 2020, H.R. 6904 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 6904?
- H.R. 6904 was sponsored by Rep. Jahana Hayes [D-CT5] (Democrat-CT), with 9 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 6904?
- Introduced (15 May 2020).
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