Bill > HR7658

This bill, the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act of 2026, aims to bolster the security of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It mandates the creation of new regulations within two years to ensure that cybersecurity measures for EBT cards and mobile technologies keep pace with private sector and federal agency standards for other payment cards. Key provisions include requiring states to offer multiple user interfaces for managing EBT accounts, ensuring these interfaces are available at least 99% of the time and are mobile-friendly, and providing households with the option to receive electronic transaction notices and access historical transaction data for at least 12 months. The bill also mandates the transition to "chip-enabled" EBT cards, which use secure payment technology resistant to cloning, phasing out magnetic stripe cards within five years, and prohibits states from charging fees for replacement cards due to malfunction, fraud, expiration, or required upgrades. Furthermore, it requires retailers to use chip-enabled payment terminals to participate in SNAP and establishes a grant program to help eligible entities upgrade their payment terminals, while also requiring reports on EBT card security, particularly in Puerto Rico, and online transaction theft.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7658/all-info