What's happening
This bill increases Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit value by 50% for purchases made at designated farmers' markets using EBT cards.
Why it matters
Expands access to fresh, local foods for SNAP recipients by making it financially advantageous to shop at farmers’ markets, potentially improving nutrition and supporting healthier diets among low-income households.
Creates new incentives for farmers’ markets to participate in EBT/Electronic Benefit Transfer systems, which could increase their customer base and help support small and local farmers economically.
Requires the state to develop technology and administrative systems to accurately track and process these enhanced benefits at farmers’ markets, potentially modernizing and streamlining benefit delivery.
May encourage broader community investment in farmers’ markets and local agriculture by linking public assistance programs directly with local food systems, fostering economic and social benefits beyond immediate food access.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Boost Food Benefits at Markets
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2776
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 17, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to electronic benefit system transfer technology and reimbursements for the use of such technology
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-a of the social services law is amended by adding a new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
3. (a) The department shall devise a means by which electronic benefit transfers made through technology available at farmers' markets may be recognized as having occurred at such locations.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, and subject to an appropriation therefor, for purchases at designated farmers' market locations through the use of an electronic benefits transfer card, the available balance of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits available shall be calculated at a rate of one hundred fifty percent of the amount otherwise provided of such remaining balance.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08279-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to electronic benefit system transfer technology and reimbursements for the use of such technology
Purpose
This proposal seeks to broaden access to healthy foods, and to increase the number of farmers' markets authorized to accept EBT payment by alleviating the fees and costs associated with electronic benefit transfer technology (EBT) equipment at farmers' markets.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 expands the Agriculture and Markets Law at section 262, State aid for farmers' markets, by alleviating the service costs and fees associated with furnishing electronic benefit transfer equipment, including transaction fees, wireless technology fees, application fees and seasonal reactivation fees.
Read the full memo (611 words)
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Existing law
Section 262 of the Agriculture and Markets law authorizes the use of State funding to assist farmers' markets, specifically at subsection (c), equipment costs associated with improving farmers' market functions, including but not limited to expanding access to electronic benefit transfer technology.
Further, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides free electronic benefit transfer equipment for eligible farmers' markets.
Justification
Many legislative initiatives are aimed at expanding access to healthy foods by increasing the number of retailers accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payment, including farmers' markets. Despite these efforts, many farmers' markets are neither authorized nor equipped to accept EBT payment. Nationally there are over 8,000 farmers' markets and of those, less than half are authorized to accept benefit cards. In New York, pursuant to data from the State website, there are about 700 farmers' markets that operate seasonally. While an increasing number of farmers' markets across this state are authorized to accept EBT payment, according to the USDA, only about 220 currently accept EBT payment. This leaves the majority of markets unauthorized to operate as EBT retailers. Furthermore, authorization is not the only hurdle to EBT use at farmers' markets. Even when a farmers' market is authorized to accept EBT, an EBT recipient's access to healthy foods is contingent on the farmers' market's ability to pay costly processing fees.
In an effort to mitigate the deterrent effects high processing fees have on farmers' markets seeking EBT authorization, this bill waives the service fees associated with EBT processing equipment. Presently, both Federal and State programs provide access to free electronic benefit transfer point of sale equipment; however, the state is not authorized to assist in the payment of the fees associated with the use of the EBT equipment. At least 12 other states throughout the country, including New Hampshire and California, have authorized the use of state funds to cover the fees associated with the use of EBT point of sale equipment, including but not limited to, wireless and transaction fees. In each of these instances, the state aid allocated for said fees is limited to EBT transactions.
This bill supports and promotes the use of EBT payment at farmers' markets by waiving the service fees associated with EBT processing equipment. Farmers' markets operating in New York State will be alleviated of the fees and costs associated with furnishing EBT technology. The service and transaction fees impacted by this proposal will be limited to fees associated to EBT transactions. This initiative expands access to healthy foods by allowing access to necessary financial support to the several hundred unauthorized farmers' markets across the state, thereby encouraging healthy eating, supporting local economies and enabling all residents to purchase foods at farmers' markets.
Legislative history
S.7020 Referred and committed to Finance.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.