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USDA Threatens Stores Giving Discounts to People on Food Stamps

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64 points mrtesthah | 5 comments | 04 Nov 25 16:30 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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eminence32 ◴[04 Nov 25 17:24 UTC] No.45813519[source]▶
Relevant links:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/retailer/retailer-notice/r...

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fr-022124

> Coupons shall be accepted for eligible foods at the same prices and on the same terms and conditions applicable to cash purchases of the same foods at the same store except that tax shall not be charged on eligible foods purchased with coupons.

Obviously lawyers are going to be involved in interpreting these rules. But as a lay person, I wonder: a store cannot charge a different price to someone who is buying food with a SNAP coupon. But for someone who has SNAP benefits, but isn't using a SNAP coupon to buy food (you know... because the government isn't funding the program), do these rules still apply?

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1. giraffe_lady ◴[04 Nov 25 18:28 UTC] No.45814274[source]▶
> But for someone who has SNAP benefits, but isn't using a SNAP coupon to buy food (you know... because the government isn't funding the program), do these rules still apply?

The lawyer that does pro bono work for the food bank I volunteer with believes this rule doesn't apply in this case for exactly that reason. But the legal challenges will take time and the threat is effective now regardless so it barely matters.

replies(1): >>45814938 #
2. lcnPylGDnU4H9OF ◴[04 Nov 25 19:27 UTC] No.45814938[source]▶
> the threat is effective now

What is the actual threat? Assuming a grocery chain ignores the interpretation, what troubles could they face?

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3. pseudalopex ◴[04 Nov 25 19:37 UTC] No.45815050[source]▶
They could be disqualified from SNAP or fined.[1]

[1] https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-II/s...

4. dragonwriter ◴[04 Nov 25 19:38 UTC] No.45815063[source]▶
Banning from the EBT program, civil fines, and, potentially, criminal charges (I’m not sure you can wedge discounts for SNAP beneficiaries into any of the criminal violation categories though it seems like if you did it for cash purchases by SNAP beneficiaries as a way of trying to help deal with the suspension or reduction of SNAP benefits, it could probably be argued to be indirect trafficking—using SNAP payments to subsidize other inventory—which is criminal.)
replies(1): >>45816055 #
5. giraffe_lady ◴[04 Nov 25 21:24 UTC] No.45816055{3}[source]▶
They don't need a good legal argument to just have border patrol ransack the place and stuff a bunch of customers & employees in detention for a week. We haven't seen (afaik) this sort of vindictive not-even-pretending use of ICE/BP yet but it's right around the corner.