To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to improve the accuracy of estimates of retail food store trafficking in the supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, to strengthen penalties for trafficking violations, to require reporting information to the Congress; and for other purposes.
The Stop Retail Food Store SNAP Trafficking Act of 2026 aims to combat fraud in the food assistance program by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve how it estimates and reports on retailers illegally exchanging SNAP benefits for cash or other items. The bill requires the department to update its assumptions about trafficking rates, validate those estimates using real transaction data from known cases, and publish updated trafficking reports every three years starting within 18 months of the law's enactment. It also significantly strengthens penalties for retailers caught trafficking SNAP benefits by increasing maximum civil fines from $100,000 to $250,000 and allowing the department to impose both permanent disqualification and financial penalties simultaneously. The legislation requires the department to submit a progress report to Congress within two years detailing implementation efforts, updated trafficking estimates, and data on investigations and penalties issued against retailers. By tightening oversight and enforcement mechanisms, the bill seeks to protect the integrity of SNAP and ensure benefits reach eligible low-income families as intended.
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