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NJ ACR60
NJ ACR60Urges United States President, Congress, and USDA to take steps to protect SNAP beneficiaries from fraud.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This resolution urges the President of the United States, the United States Congress, and the United States Department of Agriculture to take all steps necessary to promptly find a comprehensive resolution to the rising levels of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit fraud occurring throughout the country. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides assistance to supplement the food budget of low-income families nationwide. The program is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Division of Family Development, within the Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the county welfare agencies. Fraud of SNAP benefits has risen to an alarming level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most frequent culprit of lost benefits related to "skimming" devices. Skimming occurs when devices are illegally installed on point-of-sale terminals to capture a cardholder's personal identification number and other data stored on the magnetic strip of the EBT card. Criminals use the data to duplicate the EBT card and access the victim's SNAP benefits. In December 2022, Congress addressed the growing concern of stolen SNAP benefits in the passage of the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," which allows state agencies to temporarily use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits lost to skimming and other forms of fraud between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2024. While these federal efforts to protect SNAP beneficiaries from the consequences of skimming are a positive step in the right direction, the New Jersey State Legislature encourages its federal partners to take additional actions to more aggressively safeguard this vulnerable community; including authorizing the permanent replacement of stolen SNAP benefits with federal funds, retroactive to October 2021, and the provision of regulations and funds to support more secure card payment systems for SNAP benefits.
AI Summary
This concurrent resolution urges the President of the United States, Congress, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address the significant increase in fraud affecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to low-income families. The resolution highlights that a primary method of fraud is "skimming," where criminals use illegal devices to steal cardholder information from Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, which are used like debit cards to purchase food. Unlike other debit and pre-paid cards, EBT cards are not protected by federal law against such theft, leaving beneficiaries vulnerable. While recent federal legislation allows temporary replacement of stolen benefits, this resolution calls for more permanent solutions, including authorizing federal funds to permanently replace SNAP benefits lost to fraud, making this replacement retroactive to October 2021, and providing federal funding and regulations to implement more secure payment systems for SNAP EBT cards, such as EMV chips, which are more resistant to skimming than the current magnetic strips.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (3)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/ACR60 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/ACR/60_I1.HTM |
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