Mobile technologies.—

(A) In general .— Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall authorize the use of mobile technologies for the purpose of accessing supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.

(B) Demonstration projects on access of benefits through mobile technologies.— (i) Demonstration projects .— Before authorizing implementation of subparagraph (A) in all States, the Secretary shall approve not more than 5 demonstration project proposals submitted by State agencies that will pilot the use of mobile technologies for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits access. (ii) Project requirements .— To be eligible to participate in a demonstration project under clause (i), a State agency shall submit to the Secretary for approval a plan that— (I) provides recipient protections regarding privacy, ease of use, household access to benefits, and support similar to the protections provided under existing methods; (II) ensures that all recipients, including those without access to mobile payment technology and those who shop across State borders, have a means of benefit access; (III) requires retail food stores, unless exempt under section 2016(f)(2)(B) of this title , to bear the costs of acquiring and arranging for the implementation of point-of-sale equipment and supplies for the redemption of benefits that are accessed through mobile technologies; (IV) requires that foods purchased with benefits issued under this section through mobile technologies are purchased at a price not higher than the price of the same food purchased by other methods used by the retail food store, as determined by the Secretary; (V) ensures adequate documentation for each authorized transaction, adequate security measures to deter fraud, and adequate access to retail food stores that accept benefits accessed through mobile technologies, as determined by the Secretary; (VI) provides for an evaluation of the demonstration project, including, but not limited to, an evaluation of household access to benefits; (VII) requires that the State demonstration projects are voluntary for all retail food stores and that all recipients are able to use benefits in non-participating retail food stores; and (VIII) meets other criteria as established by the Secretary. (iii) Priority .— The Secretary may prioritize demonstration project proposals that would— (I) reduce fraud; (II) encourage positive nutritional outcomes; and (III) meet such other criteria as determined by the Secretary. (iv) Date of project approval .— The Secretary shall solicit and approve the qualifying demonstration projects required under subparagraph (B)(i) not later than January 1, 2021 .

(C) Report to congress .— The Secretary shall— (i) by not later than January 1, 2022 , authorize implementation of subparagraph (A) in all States, unless the Secretary makes a finding, based on the data provided under subparagraph (B), that implementation in all States requires further study by way of an extended pilot period or is not in the best interest of the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and (ii) if the determination made in clause (i) is not to implement subparagraph (A) in all States, submit a report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate that includes the basis of the finding.