BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana state representative's proposal to request that the Louisiana Department of Health look into allowing SNAP recipients to use food stamps to pay for grocery delivery fees is headed to the House floor.

House Concurrent Resolution 98, authored by Rep. Barbara Carpenter, a Democrat who represents Baton Rouge, asks that LDH study and report the cost and feasibility of allowing food stamps to be used for delivery fees, particularly for improving food access for elderly and mobility-impaired Louisiana residents. 

It passed the Committee on Health and Welfare by a 9-0 vote on Tuesday.

Carpenter, in the resolution, writes that "the inability to use SNAP benefits for delivery-related costs creates a financial barrier for many recipients, particularly elderly individuals, persons with disabilities and those lacking reliable transportation."

"A comprehensive study is necessary to evaluate the potential fiscal impact on the state, including administrative considerations, potential cost offsets, public health implications and improvements in food accessibility and nutritional outcomes," the resolution says, noting that LDH's study should also review avenues to allow for the implementation of this policy through coordination with state and federal law, as well as private delivery platforms. 

The resolution points out that SNAP can already be used to purchase eligible food items through online grocery platforms like DoorDash and Instacart, but notes that federal law generally prohibits the use of these benefits to pay delivery fees, service charges or other non-food costs associated with delivery. 

Rep. Cleo Fields authored a federal bill that, if passed, would amend federal law to allow SNAP benefits to be used to pay for 19 grocery delivery costs in order to increase food access. This bill, the "Snap Delivery Modernization Act of 2025," has not advanced past introduction in Congress.

If passed, Carpenter's resolution recommends that a written report of the findings be delivered to the House and Senate committees on health and welfare no later than Feb. 1, 2027.