REPORT ON IMPACT ON RETAIL FOOD STORES.

SEC. 206. REPORT ON IMPACT ON RETAIL FOOD STORES. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the impact of the amendments made by sections 201 and 202 on the involvement of retail food stores in the food stamp program established under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), including a description of— (1) the numbers and types of stores that were newly authorized to participate in the food stamp program after implementation of the amendments; (2) the numbers and types of stores that were withdrawn from the food stamp program after implementation of the amendments; (3) the procedures used by the Secretary, and the adequacy of the procedures used, to determine the eligibility of stores 108 STAT. 110to participate in the food stamp program and to authorize and reauthorize the stores to participate in the food stamp program; (4) the adequacy of the guidance provided by the Secretary to retail food stores concerning— (A) the definitions of “retail food store”, “staple foods”, “eligible foods”, and “perishable foods” for purposes of the food stamp program; and (B) eligibility criteria for stores to participate in the food stamp program; and (5) an assessment of whether the amendment to the definition of “retail food store” under section 3(k) of such Act (as amended by section 201(1)) has had an adverse effect on the integrity of the food stamp program.