HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania lawmakers unanimously approved legislation Monday that would require chip-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer cards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, advancing an effort to curb a growing wave of benefit theft linked to card-skimming fraud.
House Bill 2540, sponsored by Reps. Dan Williams, D-Chester, and Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, would require the state’s EBT system to transition to chip-enabled cards by Jan. 1, 2028. The measure now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
The legislation targets a security vulnerability that has enabled criminals to steal SNAP benefits by installing skimming devices that capture card information from magnetic-stripe cards.
“Currently, families are having their benefits stolen at alarming rates because EBT access cards lack chip-enabled technology to protect Pennsylvanians against skimming devices,” Williams said. “We must act now to maximize federal funds and ensure benefits are used as intended.”
The bill passed with bipartisan support after being developed through the House Human Services Committee, where Williams serves as majority chairman and Heffley serves as minority chairman.
“I’m proud to work in a bipartisan manner along with Rep. Williams on this bill,” Heffley said. “This legislation will help improve the security of access cards and reduce fraud and abuse.”
Supporters say the measure would bring Pennsylvania’s benefit distribution system more in line with security standards widely used throughout the banking and retail sectors.
Williams says the proposal modernizes EBT technology using payment security tools already commonplace in consumer financial transactions, helping safeguard public assistance funds and reduce opportunities for fraud.
The legislation comes as states across the country confront increasing incidents of SNAP benefit theft, which can leave vulnerable households without access to food assistance while replacement benefits are processed.
If approved by the Senate and signed into law, Pennsylvania would be required to complete the transition to chip-enabled EBT cards by the start of 2028.
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