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R E G U L A T O R Y N E W S Permanent SNAP Increase Begins Oct. 1st The permanent 25% increase in federal SNAP benefits will affect more than 1.6 million Georgians, beginning in October. This re- places the temporary 15% increase, which ended September 30. In Georgia, that means the average four-person household will go from receiving a maximum of $680 per month in SNAP benefits last year to $835 beginning Oct. 1, according to data from the Division of Family and Children Services. “With their October issuance, eligible families may qualify to receive SNAP benefits at a higher maximum allotment than before COVID-19 began‚” said Jon Anderson, the head of DFCS’ Office of Family Independence. “The increase in the maximum allotments will help Georgia’s families meet their nutritional needs to purchase healthy foods.” Need for food assistance skyrocketed at the beginning of the pandemic and has remained at higher rates than before COVID-19 caused many Georgians to lose their jobs. As of June, of 2021, more than 732,000 households received benefits, with an average of $339 per month. That’s a decline from a pandemic-high of nearly 912,000 households in September 2020, but still tens of thousands above the 627,000 households that received benefits in February 2020. Federal and state governments have increased access to food stamps during the pandemic by waiving work requirements, giving every household the maximum allowed under federal guidelines and increasing the payments by 15%.

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Will Be Distributed This Fall The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides a temporary benefit called Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) for children who were without access to free or reduced-price school meals during the 2020-21 school year, and for SNAP eligible children enrolled in childcare and K-12 schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide extra help to families with children who qualify through par- ticipation in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs due to income restrictions, AND if the school was required to close or reduce operating hours for least five(5) consecutive days during the 2020-2021 school year. Those children may be entitled to a P-EBT payment of $6.82 per day. These benefits are tentatively scheduled to be distributed in the coming months. (GFIA will notify you as to the dollar amounts and the exact dates when they are finalized.) All children under the age of six in households that received Supplemental Nutrition Assis- tance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamp) at any time since October 1, 2020, are eligible for P-EBT benefits ($6.82 per day) if they live in or attended childcare in an area where one or more schools or childcare facilities was closed or operated with reduced attendance or hours -- for the months they received SNAP. These benefits are tentatively scheduled to be distributed in the coming months. (GFIA will notify you as to the amounts and exact dates when they are finalized.) P-EBT benefits not used within 274 days after a last purchase or return, will be removed from the card and cannot be replaced. Unused funds will go back to Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) after they expire. For general information about the P-EBT benefits program and for assistance with trou- bleshooting issues, visit www.dfcs.ga.gov.

GA Dept. of Revenue New Instructions for the Issuance of Alcohol and Tobacco Licenses Effective with the 2022 renewal season and as of September 1, 2021, the Department of Revenue will no longer issue and print alcohol or tobacco licenses on color bonded certificate paper contain- ing a watermark. Additionally, the Department will not provide a license pick-up service or mail licenses to licensees. All alcohol and tobacco licenses will be available for viewing through the Georgia Tax Center (GTC) and must be printed by the licensee. Go to https://dor.georgia.gov to print an alcohol or tobacco license.

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“The Voice of the Food Industry in Georgia”