Some Iowa retailers oppose change to SNAP food stamp rules

A proposed change to the eligibility rules for stores accepting payments from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is drawing strong opposition from the food retailing industry.

The proposed rule, published on Feb. 17, would drop a retailer from SNAP if more than 15 percent of its total food sales are for items that are 'cooked or heated on site before or after purchase.” The proposal would require retailers to offer at least seven different varieties of food items in each of the four staple food categories, including at least one perishable item in three of the staple food categories.

Ankeny-based Casey's General Stores and other food retailers oppose the rule, contending it will hinder food access for the many SNAP recipients who use their benefits at convenience stores in small rural communities, or at night after supermarkets have closed.

Doug Beech, an attorney with Casey's General Stores, told a May 12 House Agriculture Committee hearing that the proposed rule would force all of Casey's stores to stop accepting SNAP, either because their hot, prepared food sales exceed the 15 percent threshold, or because of changes to staple foods and stocking requirements in the proposal.

'This proposal will create serious access burdens for SNAP beneficiaries as many tens of thousands of small format retailers leave the program in droves,” Beech said.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., ranking member on the House Nutrition Subcommittee, raised specific food access concerns, saying many SNAP beneficiaries work non-traditional hours and depend on small retailers and their extended hours of service.

'It could be easier for a retailer to not accept SNAP,” McGovern said. 'If this happens, people might have to get on a bus or drive for miles to find someone who will accept SNAP. And if they live in rural areas, good luck.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service proposed the rule change to promote a goal of healthier eating habits by implementing provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill. McGovern said the proposed changes are not the way to accomplish that goal.

'We can agree that considering where some convenience stores are located in rural areas, there is little that can be done (to ensure a healthier diet),” McGovern said.

The public comment period on the proposed rule ends Wednesday.