What's happening
This bill expands state funding to cover service and transaction fees for electronic benefit transfer technology at farmers' markets in food deserts.
Why it matters
Reduces barriers for low-income shoppers. By funding not only equipment but also service and transaction fees, this bill helps ensure SNAP recipients can use their benefits at farmers' markets without vendors having to absorb extra costs, making healthy food more accessible.
Supports small farmers and markets financially. Covering ongoing fees (not just equipment) eases the financial burden on small farmers’ markets and “non-traditional food access points” in food deserts, potentially encouraging more vendors to participate in SNAP programs.
Targets underserved areas. The expansion specifically benefits markets located in food deserts, areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, which could help address public health and equity concerns in those communities.
Encourages broader adoption of technology. By including wireless technology fees and seasonal reactivation fees, the bill supports flexible, mobile market models that can better reach isolated or underserved populations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund EBT at Farmers' Markets
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3034
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 19, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to state funding for electronic benefit transfer technology at farmers' markets
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 262 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by section 4 of part U of chapter 60 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
(c) equipment costs associated with improving farmers' market functions, including but not limited to expanding access to electronic benefit transfer technology [for] and service costs and any fees associated with furnishing such technology, such as transaction fees, wireless technology fees, application fees, and seasonal reactivation fees, at farmers' markets and other non-traditional food access points in food deserts in the state.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08233-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to state funding for electronic benefit transfer technology at farmers' markets
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 (605 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. Nationwide 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 usage 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
2016: S.6986
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth 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.