Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025
Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025 — Summary **What the bill would do:** This bill would require states to fully replace SNAP benefits (food assistance) that households lose to fraud, such as when criminals steal card information through "skimming" devices or cloning. Currently, states can only replace stolen benefits up to a limit of two months' worth of a household's benefits. The new bill would remove that cap and guarantee full replacement of any stolen amount, using federal funding from the Department of Agriculture. **Who it affects:** Low-income households that receive SNAP (food stamps) would benefit if their benefits are stolen through fraud.
The bill also affects state agencies that administer SNAP, which would be required to process these replacements. **Current status:** The bill (S. 1540) was introduced by Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025This bill requires the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to provide for the replacement of the full amount of a household's stolen benefits.Specifically, using funds provided by the Department of Agriculture, a state agency must provide a household with replacement SNAP benefits equal to the amount of benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning, or similar fraudulent methods. This requirement applies if the state agency determines that the benefits were stolen and meets certain requirements. Under current law, a state agency may only replace SNAP benefits that were stolen between the period beginning on October 1, 2022, and ending on December 20, 2024. Further, the replacement amount is limited to the lesser of the amount of (1) the benefits stolen, or (2) two months of the household's monthly allotment immediately prior to the date on which the benefits were stolen. Thus, this bill permanently extends the provision and provides for the replacement of the full amount of the benefits stolen.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.