PRINTER'S NO. 3889

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2572

Session of

2020

INTRODUCED BY BURGOS, DRISCOLL, PASHINSKI, DELLOSO, KINSEY,

DeLUCA, YOUNGBLOOD, SHUSTERMAN, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, SCHWEYER,

NEILSON, GALLOWAY, ROZZI, GAINEY, TOOHIL AND SANCHEZ,

Benefits Start-Up Assistance Program; providing for

applications for assistance, for award of assistance, for

requirements of participants and for funding for assistance.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known

as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding an article to

read:

"Authorization card." The paper authorization to participate

that a person signs and then exchanges for the designated amount

of food coupons at a bank.

"Corner store." A retail establishment that sells grocery

products and contains less than 5,000 square feet of an area

designated to sell grocery products.

"Direct marketing farmer." A farmer that engages in a

marketing arrangement to sell agricultural products directly to

the final consumer, including a farmer that sells agricultural

products directly to the final consumer through a farmers

(4) A direct marketing farmer.

(5) Any other small food retailer.

"Farmers market." A building, structure or place that meets

all of the following criteria:

(1) The building, structure or place is physically

located in this Commonwealth.

(2) The building, structure or place is owned, leased or

otherwise in possession of a person, municipal corporation or

public or private organization.

(3) The building, structure or place is used or intended

meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The retail establishment's primary business is the

sale of grocery products.

(2) The retail establishment has no more than three

locations.

(3) The retail establishment contains at least 5,000

square feet of an area designated for a general line of food

and nonfood grocery products.

"Price look-up device." A device that can access a database

price file. The term includes any of the following:

"Price look-up system." A computer-based price retrieval

system used with scales, cash registers or point-of-sale units

in which numbers are assigned to items or commodities and the

price is stored in a database for recall when the numbers are

manually entered.

"Program." The SNAP Benefits Start-Up Assistance Program

established under section 402-A(a).

"Scanning system." A price look-up technology capable of

communicating with a database price file or retail price

retrieval system, including hardware, software or supporting

"SNAP program." The Federal Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program.

"Universal product code." A type of bar code symbol used for

tracking an item or commodity, including a type of bar code

symbol developed by the Uniform Code Council.

"Universal product code scanning system." A scanning system

capable of reading universal product codes and reflecting the

information represented by the universal product codes in the

price an individual pays for items or commodities sold, offered

for sale or exposed for sale.

(2) use scanning system technology, including price

look-up devices and price look-up systems; and

(3) use universal product code scanning systems.

(b) Administration.--

(1) The department, in collaboration with the Department

of Revenue if necessary, shall administer the program to

provide any of the following assistance to eligible entities

for the purpose specified under subsection (a):

(i) Grants.

(ii) Low-interest or no-interest loans.

(2) The department may contract with nonprofit

organizations to promote and implement the program.

Section 403-A. Applications for assistance.

(a) Applications.--An eligible entity may apply to the

department for assistance under this section. The application

must be submitted to the department by December 31 of each year

or until all the program funds have been expended, whichever

occurs first. The application shall be on the form required by

the department.

(b) Review and approval.--The department shall review and

farmer that received a grant from the Commonwealth to purchase

the technology required to accept Federal SNAP benefit coupons,

stamps, authorization cards or access devices as authorized

under any other law of this Commonwealth shall not be eligible

for assistance under this section.

Section 404-A. Award of assistance.

Assistance shall be awarded with a priority given to eligible

entities with the greatest capability to expand access to

Federal SNAP benefits to underserved areas in this Commonwealth

where retailers do not readily have access to the technology to

required to apply and accept Federal SNAP benefits for food as

authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture.

(b) Prior grants.--A farmers market of direct marketing

farmers shall not have previously received a grant from the

Commonwealth for the purchase of wired or wireless technology to

receive SNAP benefits.

Section 406-A. Funding for assistance.

The department shall use money as appropriated by the General

Assembly for assistance under the program and may also use any

other money that is made available to the department for