Sponsor
Zach Nunn
Representative · R-IA
Representative · R-IA
The bill boosts detection, coordination, and quicker restitution for stolen SNAP benefits—strengthening protections for recipients—but it centralizes data and expands enforcement powers, creating privacy, due‑process, administrative, and budget trade‑offs.
Low-income SNAP households will have stolen benefits restored and will not have their monthly allotments or ongoing eligibility reduced when they receive reimbursements, preserving food purchasing power.
USDA-level improvements — a central database, technical assistance, clearer federal implementation guidance, rulemaking authority, and funding — will improve fraud detection, coordination across States, and speed recovery for victims.
Perpetrators face an administratively enforceable penalty equal to twice the value of stolen benefits and a faster administrative remedy, increasing deterrence and the program's ability to recover stolen funds without waiting for criminal prosecutions.
SNAP recipients and vendors will be subject to expanded federal investigative powers and centralized reporting, creating new federal data holdings and raising privacy and civil‑liberties concerns.
Greater federal investigative presence, combined with administrative enforcement, increases the risk of criminal referrals, prosecutions, and penalties for individuals who may be wrongly accused or negligent, raising due‑process concerns.
States, EBT processors, and contracted vendors will face increased compliance and administrative burdens to detect theft, validate claims, report data, and integrate with new federal systems.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Expands USDA OIG enforcement over SNAP benefit theft, allows States to reimburse victims from SNAP funds, and creates a civil penalty twice the value of stolen benefits to fund reimbursements and investigations.
Official title: To amend of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 relating to punishment and compensation for the theft of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits; and for other purposes.
Introduced June 10, 2025 by Zach Nunn · Last progress June 10, 2025
Authorizes the USDA Office of Inspector General to investigate, subpoena, and coordinate multi-jurisdictional investigations of theft, misuse, and cyber-enabled fraud of SNAP benefits. It lets States reimburse households for benefits stolen through no fault of the household, requires data reporting and a centralized incident database, and creates a civil penalty equal to twice the value of benefits stolen to fund victim reimbursement and enhanced investigations. The bill expands enforcement tools (subpoenas, warrants, interagency referrals), requires administrative and reporting steps for States, and directs recovered civil-penalty funds toward victim compensation and OIG investigatory activities. It also directs the Secretary to issue implementing regulations and to review the necessity of the reimbursement authority after States upgrade to more secure payment technology.