H.R. 3151 – Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC

The Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017 amends the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act to tighten rules around SNAP eligibility and reduce program abuse. It makes several types of misconduct permanent disqualifications, extends work‑requirement periods, and adds new penalties for losing electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. The changes affect SNAP participants, state agencies that administer the program, and anyone convicted of certain offenses.

Key Provisions

Permanent disqualification for a range of misconduct, including certain felony convictions and defrauding the federal, state, or local government.
Mandatory disqualification for households with child‑support arrears – no longer optional for states.
Work‑requirement periods are lengthened from 36 to 48 months, and the waiver of the work requirement and the 15‑percent exemption are eliminated.
Permanent bans for destroying food to obtain cash and for selling food purchased with SNAP benefits.
State agencies may require an in‑person interview if a household asks for a third EBT card within a year, and may suspend participation for one year if a household requests a fifth card in the same period.
The amendments take effect on the date of enactment, but do not apply retroactively to conduct, certification periods, or EBT cards issued before that date.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

July 24, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 29, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

June 29, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5988)

July 19, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

July 24, 2017

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 3151 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Bruce PoliquinR-ME-2 · Jul 19, 2017

Mr. Speaker, sadly, rural Maine is ground zero for the opioid epidemic in America. Every day, on average, Mr. Speaker, one fellow Mainer dies from an overdose. Sixty percent of our families are…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 29, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3151

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 29, 2017

Mr. Poliquin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017.

2.

Eligibility disqualifications

(a)

Permanent disqualification for misconduct

Section 6(b)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(b)(1)) is amended—

(1)

by striking program— and inserting program permanently upon—;

(2)

by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and

(3)

in clause (iii)—

(A)

in subclause (I) by striking (I) the third and inserting the following:

(A)

the first

;

(B)

in subclause (II) by striking (II) the second and inserting the following:

(B)

the first

;

(C)

in subclause (III) by striking (III) the first and inserting the following:

(C)

the first

;

(D)

in subclause (IV) by striking (IV) a conviction and inserting the following:

(D)

a conviction

; and

(E)

by striking (iii) permanently
upon—.

(b)

Disqualification for certain convicted felons

Section 6(r)(1)(A) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(r)(1)(A)) is amended—

(1)

in clause (iv) by striking or at the end;

(2)

in clause (v) by striking and at the end; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(vi)

an offense under chapter 113B of title 18 of the United States Code; or

(vii)

defrauding the Federal Government, a State, or a unit of local government; and

.

(c)

Mandatory disqualification for child support arrears

Section 6(n)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(n)(1)) is amended by striking At the option of a State agency, no and inserting No.

(d)

Work requirement; elimination of waiver of work requirement and of 15-Percent exemption

Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2) by striking 36-month and inserting 48-month;

(2)

by striking paragraph (4);

(3)

in paragraph (5) by striking 36-month and inserting 48-month;

(4)

by striking paragraph (6); and

(5)

by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (7) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively.

(e)

Permanent disqualification for obtaining cash by destroying food and collecting deposits

Section 6(p) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(p)) is amended by striking for such period of time as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation and inserting permanently.

(f)

Permanent disqualification for sale of food purchased with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits

Section 6(q) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(q)) is amended by striking for such period of time as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation and inserting permanently.

3.

Excessive loss of EBT cards

Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(t)

Excessive loss of EBT cards

At the option of the State agency—

(1)

if the household requests a third EBT card to replace the second of 2 EBT cards issued to the household in the 1-year period ending on the date of such request, the State agency may require the head of the household to appear in person for an interview before any additional EBT card is issued to the household; and

(2)

the participation of a household in the supplemental nutrition assistance program may be terminated for 1 year if the household requests a fifth EBT card to replace the last of 4 EBT cards issued to such households in the 1-year period ending on the date of such request.

.

4.

Effective date; application of amendments

(a)

Effective date

Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b)

Application of amendments

(1)

The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with respect to conduct that occurs before the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2)

The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with respect to certification periods that begin before the date of the enactment of this Act.

(3)

The amendment made by section 4 shall not apply with respect to EBT cards issued before the date of the enactment of this Act.