Due to Hurricane Ian, and effective immediately, retail food stores licensed by the Food and Nutrition Service and located in the State of Florida may accept SNAP benefits in exchange for HOT foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises.
These special rules are in effect through October 31, 2022.
When hot foods are purchased with SNAP EBT benefits through October 31, 2022, the purchases are NOT subject to sales tax, as these foods are considered SNAP eligible during this period.
All SNAP authorized retail food stores in the State of Florida are encouraged to post a special notice in the store letting SNAP customers know that they can use their SNAP EBT benefits to purchase hot foods and, where practical, may remain on the premises to consume those foods.
Thank you for your assistance in aiding those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Also in Florida, the state has Starlink Internet Provider units available to businesses. These are the portable wifi providers donated to the state by Elon Musk. Each unit can provide internet service to 2,000 square feet and can have 120 maximum concurrent devices connected at a time. Multiple units are available to primarily allow a business to have connectivity and secondly to provide hotspots to the public. The first priority is to assist businesses. The ESF in charge of this will assist with set up and provide technical support. Please contact Lorena@FRF.org for more information.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.