H.R. 205 – SNAP Theft Protection Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 1:52 AM UTC

The SNAP Theft Protection Act of 2023 updates the Food and Nutrition Act to require that households whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are stolen through identity theft or card‑skimming can have those benefits reissued. It directs the USDA Secretary to create rules for identifying stolen benefits, returning them to eligible households, and reporting on the program’s effectiveness. The changes affect SNAP participants, state agencies that administer SNAP, and the federal agency overseeing the program.

Key Provisions

Adds language to allow reissuance of SNAP benefits that were taken by identity theft or typical skimming practices.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to issue regulations that set criteria for states to identify stolen benefits and to return them to households.
Mandates a status report to Congress within 240 days of the regulations, covering how common stolen benefits are and exploring new EBT card technologies (e.g., embedded microchips).
Requires an annual report, due 120 days after each fiscal year, detailing the total value and number of reissued benefits by state.
Calls for periodic review and updating of the regulations to keep EBT cards secure as technology and theft methods evolve.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

February 13, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 9, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

January 9, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

February 13, 2023

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 205 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Jennifer L. McClellanD-VA-4 · Dec 5, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the millions of Americans across the Nation who depend on SNAP benefits. In recent months, reports of SNAP benefit theft has skyrocketed at an alarming rate,…

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 9, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 205

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 9, 2023

Mr. Ruppersberger (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for the reissuance to households supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to replace benefits stolen by identity theft or typical skimming practices, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the SNAP Theft Protection Act of 2023.

2.

Amendments

Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (e) by inserting or from the reissuance of benefits stolen by identity theft or typical skimming practices, after mail, and

(2)

in subsection (h)(7)—

(A)

by striking Regulations and inserting the following:

(A)

Replacement of benefits

Regulations

, and

(B)

by adding at end the following:

(B)

Reissuance of stolen benefits

(i)

Issuance of regulations

Secretary shall issue regulations—

(I)

to establish criteria for State agencies to identify supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits stolen by identity theft or typical skimming practices; and

(II)

to provide for the reissuance to households of benefits stolen by identity theft, or typical skimming practices, that meet such criteria.

(ii)

Status report

Not later than 240 days after the Secretary issues regulations under clause (i), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the status of benefits reissued under such regulations that includes—

(I)

a detailed description of the prevalence of stolen benefits for which benefits are reissued under such regulations;

(II)

an examination of current barriers, feasibility, and impact on participant access and ease of use in developing an electronic benefit transfer card that contains innovative technologies such as an embedded microchip along with the traditional magnetic stripe; and

(III)

such other information as by the Secretary considers to be appropriate.

(iii)

Stolen benefit reissuance report

Not later than 120 days after end of each fiscal year that begins after the Secretary issues regulations under clause (i), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report for such fiscal year with respect to each State that includes the aggregate value of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits reissued under such regulations and the number of households to which such benefits were reissued.

(iv)

Evaluation

To maximize the accessibility and security of electronic benefit transfer cards, the Secretary shall periodically review and modify such regulations to take into account evolving technology and the threat landscape to better protect against benefit theft.

.