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Proposal to require SNAP spending in local ZIP codes draws legal and practical objections
Summary
Rep. Paul Flynn's bill to require SNAP recipients to spend a portion of benefits in nearby stores and to require participating retailers to carry a local supply of perishables drew questions about federal authority, administrative feasibility and possible harm to program participants from Maine Equal Justice and other witnesses.
Representative Paul Flynn introduced LD 938, a proposal to require Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to spend a portion of their monthly benefits in food retailers located within a designated geographic radius of the recipient's residence and to require participating retailers to source a share of perishable inventory locally.
Sponsor's rationale Flynn described his experience as a former grocery owner in rural Freedom, saying the proposal aims to capture more federal food‑assistance dollars for local stores and farms and to boost rural economic activity. "The concept is to have a food supplement recipient spending a certain portion of the benefits in the local community," Flynn told the committee, and the bill text suggested a 10% local‑spend target and a 10% locally sourced perishable inventory for participating retailers.
Opposition and practical objections Alex Carter of Maine Equal Justice testified in opposition, telling the committee that states lack legal authority to restrict where SNAP benefits are redeemed: "States do not have the authority to restrict where people redeem their benefits," Carter said. She and other witnesses argued the proposal would create administrative burdens, could reduce participant choice and might penalize low‑income households that live in areas with limited nearby retail options. Carter also noted the state cannot reliably determine travel distances between a recipient's home and their shopping locations without new tracking systems and that the perishable‑sourcing requirement could strain small rural retailers and food producers.
Other committee questions Committee members raised implementation concerns, including whether farmer's markets would qualify and how the program would treat recipients who shop near workplaces or family outside a home ZIP code. Flynn said markets could qualify and suggested that geographic domains would account for rural areas with no qualifying stores.
Next steps No vote was taken. The committee requested additional written information and technical details ahead of any work session, including potential conflicts with federal SNAP rules and administrative feasibility.
