Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Thursday that fraudsters can’t steal recipients’ benefits. introduced legislation to strengthen cybersecurity protections for SNAP cards.
Microchips and other security features in cards have been common in credit and debit cards for years, but SNAP cards don’t have those features.
“There is no excuse for this two-tier system, which allows families in need to take advantage of outdated and easily hackable technology, while people with credit and ATM cards are better protected,” Wyden said in a statement. “It will be done,” he said. “Doing nothing is not enough for families. It can’t be the difference between a family needing food for dinner and someone being hungry.”
The bill aims to combat skimming fraud, where card details are detected and stolen using hacked readers. Every year, thousands of SNAP recipients fall victim to skimmers and other security scams. according to to the USDA, which administers SNAP.
Skimmer scams drain victims’ accounts, often stealing the hundreds of dollars needed to put food on the table. No state offers cards with microchip protection, but California plans to introduce new cards with this feature in the next few years, according to the USDA.
The bill would force the Department of Agriculture to update each state’s card requirements to include microchips and other security features. The bill states that with federal funding, states would begin issuing new cards within two years and ban non-chip cards after four years.
Rep. Andy Kim (DN.J.) and Rep. Mike Lawler (RN.Y.) are leading identical bills in the House.
“SNAP is supposed to help people who are food insecure,” Cassidy said in a statement. “We are not supposed to help criminals who steal these profits. This allows us to fight them while preserving profits for those most in need.”
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