Sponsors (12)
The bill strengthens EBT security and access for SNAP recipients (faster replacements, chip/online protections, reporting) but imposes significant costs, administrative burdens, and privacy risks that could disrupt access or lead to uneven protections across states.
Low-income SNAP recipients will face lower risk of card fraud and benefit theft because the bill pushes chip-based EBT, stronger online protections, and other security upgrades across EBT channels.
SNAP households will get faster and more reliable access to benefits: required 3-business-day replacements, choice of mail or in-person delivery, and no replacement fees for cards lost to malfunction, expiration, or outsider fraud.
States and retailers receive federal financial and logistical support (state reimbursements, retailer grants) and clear upgrade timelines, easing the burden of moving to chip/contact/contactless terminals and card systems.
State governments, EBT vendors, and small retailers will face substantial upfront and ongoing costs to deploy chip-enabled cards and upgrade terminals and systems, which could strain budgets or be passed on to consumers.
SNAP participants risk temporary reduced access to benefits during transitions (card reissuance, terminal upgrades) and from outages, which could disrupt food purchases especially in rural or underserved areas.
Collecting and storing merchant-identifying and detailed fraud data (even in a confidential annex) raises privacy, reputational, and enforcement risks for recipients, merchants, and financial institutions if handling or disclosure is mishandled.
Based on analysis of 16 sections of legislative text.
Strengthens cybersecurity for SNAP EBT cards and online transactions, phases in chip-enabled cards, requires fast replacement rules, and mandates chip-capable terminals for SNAP retailers.
Official title: Amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require the promulgation of cybersecurity and digital service regulations relating to the use of EBT cards under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 26, 2026 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress February 26, 2026
Requires stronger cybersecurity and technology standards for SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and online EBT transactions, including a phased move to chip-enabled EBT cards, rules to prevent benefit and merchant data theft, delivery timelines for replacement cards, and vendor terminal requirements for authorized retailers. Establishes new USDA rulemaking duties, reporting requirements, and a Puerto Rico security review, and removes earlier guidance/rulemaking duties in one existing provision.