The National Grocers Association (NGA) joined a coalition of leading retail associations on April 28 in opposing any amendment to the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 that would impose new federal restrictions on foods eligible for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In a letter sent to congressional leaders, NGA, along with NACS, NATSO, SIGMA and EMA, called on lawmakers to allow ongoing state-level SNAP restriction waivers to be studied and evaluated before Congress legislates a nationwide overhaul.
Coalition of front-line retailers
Together, the coalition’s members operate storefronts where millions of SNAP customers shop every day. Those include the independent community grocers that account for roughly one-third of all U.S. grocery sales, more than $250 billion in annual sales and over 1 million American jobs.
Stephanie Johnson, NGA’s group VP of government relations, said independent grocers play an irreplaceable role in food access for the SNAP population.
“Independent grocers are the food access lifeline in thousands of rural towns, urban neighborhoods, and Main Streets across America, where we serve SNAP customers every single day,” Johnson said.
“Congress is being asked to vote on sweeping new SNAP restrictions before the 22-state pilot waivers, which are already underway, have been evaluated. On behalf of America’s independent grocers, we are urging Congress to let the data come in before locking a confusing, costly mandate into federal statute.”
Concerns over broad categories
The amendments under consideration would include broadly defined product categories such as “soft drinks,” “soda,” “candy, ice cream, prepared desserts and similar items,” and seafood not domestically sourced.
The coalition warned that those categories carry no consistent statutory definitions, making the language overly broad and vague for compliance.
Johnson said lawmakers should resist the urge to legislate before pilot programs have produced results.
“Instead of piling on new red tape through SNAP restrictions, Congress should let the pilots play out and work with retailers on the front lines before making changes that hit millions of families and small businesses,” Johnson said.
About the association
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats.
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