The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved special disaster rules for accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for hot foods for some counties in the state of New Mexico after a severe storm and flooding in the state.
Effective immediately through December 17, 2024, authorized SNAP retailers located in New Mexico may accept SNAP benefits in exchange for hot foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises.
The approved counties include Chaves, De Baca, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero, and Roosevelt.
The USDA said that hot foods purchased with SNAP benefits during this time are not subject to sales tax.
NACS offers resources for SNAP Retailers. More information and those resources can be found here.
Last month, after Hurricanes Milton and Helene hit the Southeast, many states extended their waivers for SNAP benefits for hot foods. In North Carolina, the waivers are valid through December 4, 2024, and authorized SNAP retailers located in the state may continue to accept SNAP benefits in exchange for hot foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises for all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
In Virginia, the notice is effective through December 10, 2024, and authorized SNAP retailers located in 39 Virginia counties and three cities may temporarily accept SNAP benefits for hot foods.
“We encourage all SNAP retailers in the approved counties to post a special notice in the store letting SNAP customers know that they can use their SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods and, where practical, may remain on the premises to consume those foods,” said the USDA in the release.
SNAP has undergone significant modernization efforts since its creation in the 1960s—including the introduction of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payment cards in the 1980s to replace paper vouchers and coupons. EBT payment cards allow an individual on SNAP to purchase eligible food items at authorized retail stores, such as a convenience or grocery store.
Recently, however, there have been prominent reports in the media about a new type of fraud that has emerged within SNAP: EBT skimming. As criminals exploit the vulnerability of EBT payment cards, efforts are underway to transition to more secure chip technology. This transition is moving fast in some places and could lead to system failures if retailers haven’t done the work to be ready for this new transition. Read more about the transition in the September 2024 edition of NACS Magazine here.