ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS.

SEC. 703. [7 U.S.C. 2016 note] ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS. (a) Resources for SNAP Online Purchasing.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide— (1) additional support for the Food and Nutrition Service to conduct end-to-end testing in the online production environment; and (2) technical assistance to educate retailers on the process and technical requirements for the online acceptance of SNAP benefits and to support and expedite SNAP online purchasing. (b) Snap Online Purchasing Assistance for Direct-marketing Farmers and Farmers’ Markets.—The Secretary, on a competitive basis, shall enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide grants to, not more than 5 eligible entities to build out functionality, and provide assistance to direct-marketing farmers and farmers’ markets to accept SNAP benefits through online transactions. (1) Selection priority.—The Secretary shall prioritize eligible entities with experience building online purchasing platforms for technology solutions for farmers’ markets and direct-marketing farmers. (2) Definition of eligible entity.—In this subsection, the term “eligible entity” means a nonprofit entity with experience building online purchasing platforms or technology solutions, or with experience working with commercial entities that have experience building online purchasing platforms or technology solutions. (c) Issuance Innovation and Technology Improvement Support.—The Secretary shall— (1) review technological developments, including developments related to security and privacy, surrounding mobile payment technology, to support the mobile technologies demonstration projects and the use of mobile technologies authorized under section 7(k)(14) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; and (2) test methods to modernize electronic benefit transfer technology for the purpose of improving the security and integrity of the electronic benefits transfer system. (d) Report.—Not later than January 31, 2022, and annually thereafter until all funds provided under subsection (e) have been expended, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes— (1) a description of the activities conducted under subsections (a), (b), and (c); (2) a description of any grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts awarded under this section; (3) an analysis of the technological developments surrounding mobile payment technology; and (4) a summary of EBT modernization testing results under subsection (c)(2). (e) Funding.— (1) Appropriations.—There is hereby appropriated to the Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $5,000,000 to be available until expended to carry out this section. (2) Use of funds.—With respect to the funds appropriated under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use— (A) not more than $1,000,000 for purposes described in subsection (a); and (B) not more than $1,000,000 for purposes described in subsection (b).