Washington, D.C. – The National Grocers Association (NGA) strongly supports provisions included in the House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill text to modernize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), strengthen program integrity, and expand access to healthy food in communities nationwide.
“Independent grocers operate on razor-thin margins, and transaction fees on SNAP purchases have long threatened to impose detrimental costs on the very stores that serve as the backbone of food access in rural and low-income communities,” said Stephanie Johnson, NGA’s group vice president of government relations. “We appreciate Congress’s budgetary constraints and are thankful for the inclusion of the five-year ban on EBT fees. We remain committed to working with lawmakers to permanently eliminate these fees so grocers can continue serving families without being penalized for participating in a critical federal nutrition program,” she concluded.
The legislation also makes meaningful improvements to the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program by allowing incentives to be used on frozen fruits and vegetables and reducing the required match in high-poverty areas. These changes will expand year-round access to nutritious foods while making it less burdensome for independent grocers in economically distressed communities to participate.
NGA is also pleased to see language making SNAP online purchasing permanent nationwide. As we saw during the pandemic, online access is essential for seniors, families with young children, and individuals with disabilities. Providing clarity and permanence ensures retailers can invest confidently in technology and infrastructure that meet modern shopping needs.
Finally, the bill advances long-overdue EBT modernization efforts, including the transition to chip-enabled cards and stronger fraud-prevention tools to fight harmful EBT skimming. Safeguarding SNAP benefits against fraud protects both recipients and taxpayers and gives retailers the certainty they need to operate securely.
“Independent grocers are proud to serve as trusted SNAP partners on Main Street, often as the only full-service food store in their communities,” Johnson added. “These provisions strengthen the program by enhancing accountability, expanding access to fresh and nutritious options, and supporting the critical work local grocers do to keep communities fed. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress to advance reforms that build a more secure, modern, and accessible nutrition system for years to come.”
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About the National Grocers Association
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers.
