National Grocers Association advocates for Farm Bill and rounding legislation

The National Grocers Association (NGA) has issued statements regarding two separate legislative developments affecting the independent supermarket industry in the United States.

Regarding the Agricultural Act of 2026, the NGA expressed support for the Senate Agriculture Committee’s advancement of the Farm Bill. The association is advocating for provisions that would prohibit SNAP EBT transaction fees, make online SNAP purchasing permanent, and expand nutrition incentives. The NGA also requested that lawmakers provide states with additional implementation time to reduce SNAP payment error rates to avoid unintended consequences for retailers and families.

Separately, the NGA applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the bipartisan Common Cents Act (H.R. 10167). This legislation aims to provide retailers with legal authority and protections to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel, addressing operational hurdles caused by a shortage of pennies. The NGA is now urging the Senate to pass the measure to provide national regulatory certainty for grocers.