Sponsors (10)
The bill modernizes EBT systems to reduce fraud and speed access for SNAP recipients while improving transparency, but it shifts substantial upfront and ongoing costs and administrative burdens to states and small retailers and creates some privacy and implementation risks.
SNAP households (low-income individuals and families) will get more secure, chip/EMV-enabled EBT cards and reduced point-of-sale fraud risk, protecting benefits and card data.
SNAP recipients will regain access more quickly and with fewer costs because replacement cards must be issued within 3 business days and replacement fees are eliminated for malfunctions, fraud, or expiration.
Households will have easier benefit management because EBT user interfaces will show enrollment/recertification dates and USDA will standardize and publish EBT availability and cybersecurity data, improving transparency and consumer information.
State agencies will face large operational, logistical, and mailing costs to reissue millions of EBT cards and meet new deadlines, straining budgets and administrative capacity.
Small and rural retailers will incur significant equipment and compliance costs to install EMV/contactless-capable terminals and meet new standards, which could force some to stop accepting EBT or raise prices.
Implementation (card reissuance, terminal upgrades, or system changes) may cause temporary service interruptions or reduce retailer participation, risking benefit access interruptions and local food access for recipients.
Based on analysis of 16 sections of legislative text.
Strengthens cybersecurity for SNAP EBT cards and online transactions, mandates chip‑enabled cards and terminals, sets replacement and fee rules, and requires regular reporting to Congress.
Introduced February 26, 2026 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress February 26, 2026
Requires stronger cybersecurity and service standards for SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and related mobile/online transactions, including timelines to move from magnetic‑stripe to chip‑enabled cards, rules to protect online transactions, requirements for faster replacement of lost or malfunctioning cards without mandatory in‑person pickup, and a ban on certain replacement fees. It also requires retail locations authorized for SNAP to have chip‑enabled payment terminals and directs USDA to report on EBT security in Puerto Rico and on online transaction fraud. Agencies must write regulations, set technical standards, and submit regular reports to Congress.