H.R. 3117: Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025

HR3117, the Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025, is a narrow but important fix to how stolen SNAP benefits are replaced. The bill amends section 501(b)(2) of division HH of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, codified at 7 U.S.C. 2016a(b)(2), and makes one central change: the replacement amount "shall be equal to the amount of benefits stolen from the household." That is the heart of the bill.

In plain English, if a household loses $50 in SNAP benefits to skimming, the replacement should be $50. If it loses $300, the replacement should be $300. The bill does this by replacing the current wording in subparagraph (A) and also by striking subparagraph (C) entirely. The fact sheet indicates that removing subparagraph (C) eliminates prior statutory limits or conditions that had constrained replacement of stolen benefits.

The bill also makes a technical conforming change in subparagraph (B) by striking the word "and" at the end of that provision. That edit matters because Congress is restructuring the paragraph after deleting subparagraph (C). While that wording change is minor, the policy effect is not: the law would more clearly direct full repayment for stolen benefits.

For SNAP households, this is about whether stolen food assistance is partially restored or fully restored. For state agencies that administer EBT systems, it would create a clearer reimbursement rule tied directly to the amount stolen from the household. The bill was introduced on 2025-04-30 and has 11 cosponsors, showing some early support, but the next question is whether Congress moves it forward and how USDA and states would implement the updated rule under 7 U.S.C. 2016a(b)(2).