Rep. Nancy Mace Targets SNAP Fraud with New Bill
Republican Representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina is taking aim at SNAP fraud by proposing legislation that would mandate photo identification on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.
If passed, this bill would revise the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require EBT cards to display a photo of the authorized cardholder from the household. Known as the Food Assistance Integrity and Accountability Act, or FAIR Act, the legislation seeks to include photo verification before SNAP benefits are issued.
The timing of the bill’s introduction aligns with comments made by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins during a recent cabinet meeting. Rollins pointed out that there are over 186,000 deceased individuals still listed as beneficiaries, and more than 500,000 people are receiving benefits from multiple states—some from as many as six states. Additionally, she mentioned that 800,000 of the 42 million program beneficiaries were eliminated recently, alongside more than $102 million in stolen SNAP benefits reported in the first quarter of the year.
Currently, EBT cards are required by law to show a photo taken within the last 10 years of the authorized cardholder, or within five years for minors. Benefits can only be redeemed using a card featuring both the cardholder’s name and photo. States are allowed to issue extra photo ID cards to households with multiple authorized users, including provisions for caregivers supporting minors, elderly individuals, or those with disabilities.
The new bill also stipulates that retailers must verify the EBT card photos before finalizing transactions. It instructs the Department of Agriculture to revise regulations within 18 months for a nationwide rollout.
Rollins emphasized that there needs to be a better oversight of SNAP benefits, indicating that different states must share data about any criminal misuse of these benefits to continue receiving federal funding for SNAP administration.
Furthermore, she noted that 21 states fail to comply with a recent directive aimed at clarifying and enforcing rules that limit SNAP benefits to only U.S. citizens and legal residents, aligned with a policy from the Trump administration designed to restrict taxpayer funds from inadvertently supporting illegal immigration.
