Bill > H2861

This bill establishes penalties for food stamp trafficking, which involves the illegal use, transfer, acquisition, alteration, or possession of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards or access devices by approved retail food stores or wholesale food concerns, as defined by federal law. The severity of the penalties depends on the value of the benefits involved: trafficking benefits valued at $5,000 or more is a felony punishable by up to $250,000 in fines or twenty years in prison, or both; trafficking benefits between $100 and $5,000 is a felony with fines up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison for a first offense, and for subsequent offenses, imprisonment for at least six months to five years and potential fines; and trafficking benefits under $100 is a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail for a first offense, and for subsequent offenses, up to one year in jail and potential fines. In addition to these penalties, individuals convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be suspended from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for an additional period of up to eighteen months. The bill also introduces criminal forfeiture provisions, allowing courts to order the forfeiture of property used in or derived from food stamp trafficking offenses, with proceeds from the sale of forfeited property to be used for law enforcement costs and for entities involved in approving and investigating food stores.