Expanding SNAP Options Act of 2021
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (12 Feb 2021): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
What this bill does
S. 313, the Expanding SNAP Options Act of 2021, would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to broaden how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can be redeemed online. It would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award contracts for development of an "EBT Online Redemption Portal" allowing SNAP participants to make purchases and payments online or via mobile devices, including delivery, with a $25 million appropriation for this work. The bill also sets deadlines for a beta version, full deployment, and a report to Congress, and requires the portal to be secure, accessible, and available to retailers at little or no cost. Separately, it would establish a "SNAP Online Purchasing Technical Assistance Center," funded with $75 million, to help state agencies, retailers, and participants use online SNAP transactions, with priority assistance for small and limited-resource retailers. USDA would also be required to maintain a public, searchable online list of retailers that accept SNAP benefits, including online.
The bill primarily affects SNAP participants, who would gain expanded options for purchasing food online; retailers, particularly small and independent grocers and farmers, who would receive technical and financial support to accept SNAP payments online; and USDA, which would administer the new contracts, grants, and reporting requirements.
The bill was introduced on February 12, 2021, by Senator Richard Durbin and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It did not receive a committee vote or further action before the end of the 117th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Expanding SNAP Options Act of 2021
This bill revises the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to make the online redemption of benefits, including the acceptance of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, more widely available by requiring the implementation of online SNAP purchasing in every state and providing funding for an online redemption portal and a technical assistance center.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must award on a competitive basis one or more contracts to develop an EBT Online Redemption Portal to (1) allow program participants to use online or mobile electronic benefits transactions to purchase program foods from, and make online payments to, authorized program retailers under SNAP; and (2) facilitate food purchase delivery for program participants using such electronic benefits transactions.
The Food and Nutrition Service of USDA must award competitive grants or enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit entities to establish a SNAP Online Purchasing Technical Assistance Center to provide state agencies, authorized program retailers, and program participants information on and technical assistance with accepting SNAP benefits through online transactions and use of the portal. In providing technical assistance, the center must give priority to entities that are small and limited-resource retailers.
The bill provides funding for both the online redemption portal and the technical assistance center.
USDA must maintain on its website a publicly available listing, organized and searchable by region, locality, and state, of all approved retail food stores accepting benefits from recipients of SNAP, including through online transactions.
Timeline
12 Feb 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Common questions
- What does S. 313 do?
- S. 313, the Expanding SNAP Options Act of 2021, would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to broaden how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can be redeemed online. It would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award contracts for development of an "EBT Online Redemption Portal" allowing SNAP participants to make purchases and payments online or via mobile devices, including delivery, with a $25 million appropriation for this work. The bill also sets deadlines for a beta version, full deployment, and a report to Congress, and requires the portal to be secure, accessible, and available to retailers at little or no cost. Separately, it would establish a "SNAP Online Purchasing Technical Assistance Center," funded with $75 million, to help state agencies, retailers, and participants use online SNAP transactions, with priority assistance for small and limited-resource retailers. USDA would also be required to maintain a public, searchable online list of retailers that accept SNAP benefits, including online. The bill primarily affects SNAP participants, who would gain expanded options for purchasing food online; retailers, particularly small and independent grocers and farmers, who would receive technical and financial support to accept SNAP payments online; and USDA, which would administer the new contracts, grants, and reporting requirements. The bill was introduced on February 12, 2021, by Senator Richard Durbin and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It did not receive a committee vote or further action before the end of the 117th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
- Has S. 313 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 313. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 313?
- S. 313 was sponsored by Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), with 14 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 313?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (12 Feb 2021).
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