Bill Text: NJ S540 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Commissioner of Human Services to request authorization for SNAP benefits to be used to pay delivery charges for online grocery purchases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-12-21 - Substituted by A2040 [S540 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S540-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Senator NELLIE POU
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Commissioner of Human Services to request authorization for SNAP benefits to be used to pay delivery charges for online grocery purchases.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Commissioner of Human Services shall request that the Food and Nutrition Service within the United States Department of Agriculture take such steps as are necessary to permit funds available through the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" (SNAP), established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.88-525 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.), to be utilized by individuals receiving SNAP benefits to pay the delivery fee levied by an authorized New Jersey SNAP retailer for home delivery of the individual's SNAP-eligible purchase.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Commissioner of Human Services to request that the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) take such steps as are necessary to allow "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" (SNAP) benefits to be used to pay the delivery charge for home delivery of an individual's SNAP-eligible grocery purchase.
In March 2020, the USDA allowed New Jersey SNAP beneficiaries to participate in a pilot program under which SNAP beneficiaries may use SNAP funds to purchase groceries online through certain participating retailers. The pilot program does not currently allow the use of SNAP funds to pay the fee charged for home delivery of grocery purchases, which results in these costs being absorbed as an added out-of-pocket expense for SNAP beneficiaries.
