This bill mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and regularly update comprehensive cybersecurity and digital service regulations for Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and mobile technologies within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These regulations must ensure that security measures keep pace with private sector safeguards and federal agency requirements for payment cards. States will be required to transition to more secure EBT card technology and enhance digital services for beneficiaries. A core provision requires States to begin issuing chip-enabled EBT cards within two years of the regulations becoming final, eventually phasing out magnetic stripe-only cards entirely within five years, with federal reimbursement for associated costs. The bill also prohibits States from charging replacement fees for EBT cards that malfunction, are suspected of fraud, expire, or require replacement due to the new regulations. It further ensures that replacement cards are provided within three business days for damaged, lost, stolen, or frozen cards, allowing households to choose between mail or in-person collection. The legislation mandates States to provide households with robust digital user interfaces , such as web portals and mobile applications, for managing their EBT accounts. These interfaces must be mobile-friendly, multilingual, highly available, and include an application programming interface (API) for third-party software access. States must also offer opt-in electronic transaction notices, access to historical transaction data, and the ability to report fraudulent transactions. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary to implement security measures specifically for online EBT transactions to detect and prevent benefit theft and protect sensitive data. To further enhance security, the bill requires retail food stores and wholesale food concerns to have a chip-enabled payment terminal at each location as a condition for SNAP participation, taking effect 180 days after regulations are finalized. The Secretary is also tasked with collecting and publishing data on user interface availability and cybersecurity measures. Regular public reports will be submitted on benefit theft trends, the effectiveness of regulations, and EBT card usability issues, alongside a specific report on EBT card security in Puerto Rico.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act of 2026
USA119th CongressS-3949| Senate
| Updated: 2/26/2026
This bill mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and regularly update comprehensive cybersecurity and digital service regulations for Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and mobile technologies within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These regulations must ensure that security measures keep pace with private sector safeguards and federal agency requirements for payment cards. States will be required to transition to more secure EBT card technology and enhance digital services for beneficiaries. A core provision requires States to begin issuing chip-enabled EBT cards within two years of the regulations becoming final, eventually phasing out magnetic stripe-only cards entirely within five years, with federal reimbursement for associated costs. The bill also prohibits States from charging replacement fees for EBT cards that malfunction, are suspected of fraud, expire, or require replacement due to the new regulations. It further ensures that replacement cards are provided within three business days for damaged, lost, stolen, or frozen cards, allowing households to choose between mail or in-person collection. The legislation mandates States to provide households with robust digital user interfaces , such as web portals and mobile applications, for managing their EBT accounts. These interfaces must be mobile-friendly, multilingual, highly available, and include an application programming interface (API) for third-party software access. States must also offer opt-in electronic transaction notices, access to historical transaction data, and the ability to report fraudulent transactions. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary to implement security measures specifically for online EBT transactions to detect and prevent benefit theft and protect sensitive data. To further enhance security, the bill requires retail food stores and wholesale food concerns to have a chip-enabled payment terminal at each location as a condition for SNAP participation, taking effect 180 days after regulations are finalized. The Secretary is also tasked with collecting and publishing data on user interface availability and cybersecurity measures. Regular public reports will be submitted on benefit theft trends, the effectiveness of regulations, and EBT card usability issues, alongside a specific report on EBT card security in Puerto Rico.