New SNAP stocking rules hit bodegas this week. Mamdani asks for a six-month delay; the Council's SNAP measures are still in committee

New federal rules on what a store must stock to accept SNAP took effect Wednesday, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold off enforcing them in New York City for six months. In a Nov. 2 letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, he warned that the rules could cost a significant number of the city's bodegas and corner stores their ability to take SNAP, amNY reported.

Why it matters to residents: about 1.6 million New Yorkers get SNAP, formerly called food stamps, and many of them shop at the corner store. SNAP purchases make up an estimated 15% to 20% of a typical store's sales, and some Bronx owners report up to 30%, amNY reported. A store that loses its SNAP authorization must wait six months to reapply.

What the rules require

The USDA finalized the rules in May, according to amNY. Most SNAP stores must now carry at least seven varieties in each of four food groups: dairy, grains, protein, and fruits and vegetables. That's up from three. At least three of the groups must include perishable foods, up from two. Stores must keep at least three of each qualifying item on hand, for a minimum of 84 items. Butter, jerky, snack bars and fruit spreads no longer count toward the totals, though shoppers can still buy them with SNAP. Butcher shops, fish markets and produce stands are exempt.

Stores are checked when they apply for or renew their SNAP authorization, not all at once.

"A policy designed to expand access to nutritious food must not inadvertently make that food harder to obtain," the mayor wrote, according to amNY. He asked that enforcement be pushed back to May 4, 2027. More than 100 bodega owners have contacted the city with concerns, amNY reported. The city has about 10,000 bodegas and corner stores.

A USDA spokesperson defended the rules, saying Congress first called for stricter stocking standards in 2014. The request for more time is not only the city's: more than 200 convenience retailers wrote to Rollins in August, and 12 U.S. senators, led by Republicans Jim Justice and Roger Marshall, asked for a delay in September, amNY reported.

At his Wednesday media availability, Mamdani also said federal SNAP changes had "robbed 26,500 New Yorkers of SNAP benefits," according to the city's transcript.

What our records add

The Council has no bill on SNAP store rules. Stocking standards are set in Washington, and we found no Council bill or resolution addressing them. The closest measure is Res. 645, from Harvey D. Epstein with 16 sponsors. It calls on Congress to repeal the nutrition provisions in last year's federal budget law, H.R. 1, that restrict SNAP eligibility. It was introduced Sept. 24 and has waited 42 days in the General Welfare Committee without a hearing.

Other SNAP measures are on hold. The General Welfare Committee heard three SNAP items at an April 13 hearing and has voted on none of them in the 206 days since, as we reported last week. They include Int. 854, from Susan Zhuang, for a SNAP anti-fraud officer.

Bodega bills are waiting too.

• Int. 954, from Julie Won with 22 sponsors, would require stores to post signs about the penalties for assaulting retail, bodega, deli and dukkan workers. It has been in the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee since June 11 without a hearing.
• Int. 84, from Gale A. Brewer, would exempt some grocery stores from the commercial rent tax. It has been in the Finance Committee since Jan. 29.

The administration says it has been meeting with owners. At the Small Business Committee's Sept. 16 hearing, a Small Business Services official said Deputy Mayor Julie Su has led roundtables with bodega owners, restaurant operators and child care providers.

What's next

• We found no public reply from the USDA to the mayor's letter beyond its spokesperson's defense of the rules.
• Store owners renewing their SNAP authorization in the coming months will be the first checked under the new standards.
• The full Council next meets Nov. 12. No SNAP or bodega item is on a published agenda.