2014 Farm Bill After more than two years of work, Congress recently passed and President Obama has signed a comprehensive Farm Bill. The newly-enacted legislation contains several provisions that impose additional obligations on retailers that redeem Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This document summarizes these provisions, and provides guidance to current and prospective SNAP…
DetailsOn Friday, President Obama signed into law the Farm Bill contains several provisions of concern to convenience retailers that redeem Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits. As reported last week in NACS Daily, the Senate cleared a final bill for Obama to sign. NACS supported the final bill because it contains language much more favorable for…
DetailsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued orders on Friday to stop the further sale and distribution of four tobacco products currently on the market. According to a press release, the action marks the first time the FDA has used its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to order a manufacturer…
DetailsThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has overturned a lower court’s 2013 decision that would have rewritten the Federal Reserve’s rule for implementing the Durbin Amendment. A federal appeals court reinstated a 2011 Federal Reserve rule on the fees banks can charge merchants when customers use their debit cards, a setback for…
DetailsThe National Grocers Association (NGA) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for the passage of H.R. 2575, the Save American Workers Act by a bipartisan vote of 248 to 179. H.R. 2575, introduced by Congressman Todd Young (R-IN) and also championed by Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL), would change the new definition of a full-time employee…
DetailsAgency exercises its authority under the Tobacco Control Act to regulate e-cigarettes and prevent minors from purchasing the products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a proposed rule that would prevent minors from purchasing electronic cigarettes and give the FDA authority over e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine gels, hookah and dissolvables. However,…
DetailsSNAP Retailers // These questions and answers serve as formal guidance for use by FNS Regional Offices, State agencies, and affected stakeholders as they implement these provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014. Additional questions and answers pertaining to the retailer provisions are forthcoming. Thank you for your patience. If further questions arise related to…
DetailsParticipating retailers will no longer be offered free Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) equipment, supplies and related services. The Farm Bill, signed into law on February 7, 2014, imposes additional obligations on retailers that redeem Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, including new technological mandates and depth-of-stock requirements. In addition to those obligations, under the new…
DetailsMerchants to petition high court to review interchange case CSP Daily News Merchants are set to take their battle to cut debit-card swipe fees to the Supreme Court, potentially opening a new chapter in a winding legal battle that has pitted convenience store owners and other retailer against banks and the Federal Reserve, reported The…
DetailsUrge your members of Congress to support Internet lottery bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. For more than 50 years, federal law prohibited gambling over phone lines and, later, on the Internet. However, in 2011 the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the law would be completely re-interpreted to only prohibit…
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