Electronic benefits transfer system.

Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing federal law requires the Secretary of Agriculture to approve retail food stores to accept CalFresh benefits through online transactions if the secretary implements this program after a required demonstration project. Existing law provides for the establishment of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits. Existing law authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits through the use of the EBT system. This bill would, to the maximum extent feasible and to the extent permitted by federal law and the rules of the program providing the benefits, or pursuant to a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture, as specified, require the EBT system to limit the purchase of food through an online transaction only to retailers that are authorized to accept CalFresh benefits by the United States Department of Agriculture and that comply with various requirements, including, providing reasonable access to return or exchange food within 4 hours of receipt of the food. The bill would also require the EBT system to prohibit the use of CalFresh benefits to pay a fee for the delivery of food purchased using CalFresh benefits and, if a fee is charged for the delivery of food, require that the recipient be informed in advance of the fee being charged and agree to pay the delivery fee with funds other than CalFresh benefits.