H. R. 9649 (Introduced-in-House)

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.

July 13, 2026

Mr. Burchett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

This Act may be cited as the “Stop Retail Food Store SNAP Trafficking Act of 2026”.

Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service, shall—

“(A) evaluate and update key assumptions used in estimating the trafficking of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits by approved retail food stores (including assumptions regarding the percentage of benefits trafficked by store type or size);

“(B) validate such assumptions using independent data sources, such as transaction data from known cases of trafficking in such benefits;

“(C) include ranges reflecting uncertainty in all public reports of such estimates; and

“(D) assess the benefits and costs of more frequent reauthorization of retail food store (more often than every 5 years) for a sample of such stores at high risk of such trafficking, and implement changes to such reauthorization process as appropriate.

“(2) Not later than 18 months after effective date of this subsection, and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall publish an updated national retailer trafficking report that describes the results of the actions taken under subsection (a).”.

SEC. 3. Strengthened penalties for trafficking supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.

(a) Civil money penalties.—Section 12 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2021) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B), by striking by striking “$100,000” and inserting “$250,000”; and

(2) in subsection (c)(1) by striking “$100,000” and inserting “$250,000”.

(b) Disqualification and penalties.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate regulations to ensure that—

(1) the permanent disqualification for approval reauthorization of retail food stores that traffic in supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issued under such Act may be accompanied by civil money penalties; and

(2) penalties better deter violations of law for such trafficking are consistent with authority granted to the Secretary under prior law.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a brief report on—

(2) updated estimates of trafficking by retail food stores in supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issues under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); and

(3) the number of investigations, disqualifications, and penalties imposed with respect to such trafficking by retail food stores.