PRINTER'S NO. 3558
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
843
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY DERMODY, ULLMAN, HOHENSTEIN, SOLOMON, DELLOSO,
RAVENSTAHL, SCHLOSSBERG, KOSIEROWSKI, WILLIAMS, McCARTER,
MERSKI, KINSEY, KULIK, MALAGARI, CONKLIN, D. MILLER, RABB,
HARRIS, YOUNGBLOOD, BOYLE, LONGIETTI, A. DAVIS, BRADFORD,
GREEN, ISAACSON, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE, SCHWEYER, NEILSON, HILL-
EVANS, FIEDLER, DONATUCCI, CIRESI, McNEILL, HOWARD, FRANKEL,
DeLUCA, PASHINSKI, CALTAGIRONE, O'MARA, BRIGGS, McCLINTON,
GALLOWAY, SIMS, SHUSTERMAN, READSHAW AND WARREN,
APRIL 14, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, APRIL 14, 2020
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Department of Human Services to submit a request to
the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online
Purchasing Pilot.
WHEREAS, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
provides critical nutritional support for individuals and
families with little or no income, including older adults and
people with disabilities living on a fixed income, low-wage
working families and other low-income individuals and
households; and
WHEREAS, The Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79, 128
Stat. 921), commonly referred to as the 2014 United States Farm
Bill, directs the United States Secretary of Agriculture to
authorize retail food stores to accept SNAP benefits through
online transactions, based on the results of pilot projects
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conducted with online food retailers; and
WHEREAS, The Food and Nutrition Service of the United States
Department of Agriculture created the SNAP Online Purchasing
Pilot to test the feasibility of using SNAP and electronic
benefit transfer benefits for online food purchases and to
determine whether authorizing online food purchases with SNAP
benefits would be in the best interest of the program; and
WHEREAS, States currently participating in the online pilot
project include Alabama, New York, Oregon and Washington; and
WHEREAS, Based on subsequent agreements, states anticipated
to join the online pilot project include Iowa, Maryland,
Nebraska and New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, In April 2019, New York launched a two-year pilot,
which allows SNAP recipients in that state to select and pay for
their groceries online for the first time; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture will use
the New York State pilot program to govern future efforts to
expand the use of SNAP benefits for online food purchases
nationwide; and
WHEREAS, In January 2020, the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot
was launched in the State of Washington; and
WHEREAS, The rate at which United States consumers purchase
groceries online has increased rapidly in recent years, with
data indicating as many as 93 million online grocery purchasers
in 2019; and
WHEREAS, SNAP recipients in this Commonwealth should have the
same opportunity to shop for food online as millions of other
Americans; and
WHEREAS, The SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot would enable SNAP
recipients in this Commonwealth with limited transportation or
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grocery options the opportunity to access healthy foods; and
WHEREAS, In order for Pennsylvania to participate in the SNAP
Online Purchasing Pilot, the Department of Human Services is
required to submit a formal request to volunteer in the online
pilot program; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
Department of Human Services to submit a request to the United
States Department of Agriculture to participate in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing
Pilot; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the Governor and the Secretary of Human Services.
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