Laredo, TX—Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced that Texas has been approved for the new SNAP online purchasing program, which will allow SNAP recipients to order groceries online from participating retailers and have them delivered directly to their door. This new pilot program will help American families safely purchase food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is critical that all Americans, regardless of how they pay, have access to safe, quality food during this difficult time,” said Congressman Cuellar. “This program will ensure the health and safety of SNAP recipients by allowing them to use online grocery delivery options and reduce exposure to the coronavirus. I am committed to fighting for the growing number of families struggling to afford food in this pandemic by expanding and strengthening SNAP.”

Texas’ SNAP participation is over 3.2 million individuals, more than 1.4 million households, and totals nearly $5 billion annually in federal funding. SNAP households that want to buy groceries online through the program can use EBT cards issued by the state for payment. 

The start date of the program has not been announced. SNAP recipients are advised to log into their accounts at YourTexasBenefits.com to learn which retailers will be participating and where they will be located. 

In 2014, Congressman Cuellar supported and helped pass the Farm Bill, which authorized a pilot program that tested the feasibility and implications of allowing retail food stores to accept SNAP benefits through online transactions. For households to make online purchases, the online shopping and payment pilot is required to be secure, private, easy to use, and provide similar support to that found for SNAP transactions in a retail store. Benefits cannot be used to pay for fees of any type, such as delivery, service, or convenience fees. The goal is to ensure that the foundational infrastructure necessary for running SNAP transactions online operates in a safe and secure manner.