Permanent authority for online purchasing

Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended by adding at the end the following: (l) Online purchasing program (1) Permanent authority Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall begin transitioning the supplemental nutrition assistance program online purchasing initiative from pilot or demonstration status to permanent nationwide program operation, with the completion of the regulations required under paragraph (2) marking the end of the transition. (2) Regulations Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue such regulations and guidance as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1), including provisions relating to program integrity, consumer protections, and equitable access in rural areas. (3) Stakeholder consultation (A) In general In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a formal process for consultation with State agencies, authorized retailers, electronic benefit transfer processors, consumer advocates, and other relevant stakeholders to incorporate lessons learned from online purchasing operations during the period of 2014 through 2025. (B) Report Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report describing the consultation process under subparagraph (A) and recommendations received from stakeholders under that process..