H.R. 7316: SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026
Sponsor
Nicole Malliotakis
Republican · NY-11
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 2, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Why it matters
If enacted, the biggest winners are SNAP households that have been hit by benefit theft and then forced to wait for replacement cards or pay fees to get back online; the bill requires replacement cards within 3 business days and bars fees in cases like fraud, malfunction, or expiration. It also gives USDA’s Inspector General broader authority to pursue multi-jurisdictional theft rings and creates a civil penalty of twice the value of stolen benefits, while shifting new compliance costs onto states, EBT vendors, and smaller retailers that would need chip-enabled cards, stronger account controls like card freezing and virtual card numbers, and upgraded terminals.
H.R. 7316 Common Questions
How much is the penalty for stealing SNAP benefits under HR7316?
Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, the civil penalty is twice the value of the SNAP benefits lost through unauthorized access, use, or transfer (Section 3).
How fast would states have to replace a lost or stolen EBT card?
Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, states must ensure a replacement EBT card is received within 3 business days after a request for damage, loss, or fraud (Section 5).
Can states charge a fee to replace an EBT card after fraud or a card malfunction?
No. Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, states cannot charge replacement fees for cards replaced بسبب malfunction, suspected or reported third-party fraud, expiration, or required cybersecurity upgrades (Section 6).
Does HR7316 require SNAP EBT cards to have chips instead of magnetic stripes?
Yes. Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, states must start issuing chip-enabled cards within 2 years of final regulations, stop issuing new magnetic stripe cards within 4 years, and replace all existing ones within 5 years (Section 4).
Can SNAP users freeze their EBT card or use a virtual card number online under HR7316?
Yes. According to HR7316 Section 4, state EBT account interfaces must let households freeze or unfreeze cards for manual-entry transactions and use merchant-specific virtual card numbers for online purchases.
Does the bill require EBT transaction alerts showing the amount and store location?
Yes. Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, states must offer opt-in transaction notifications that include the amount, merchant, and location or address (Section 4).
Can states force SNAP recipients to use password or PIN rules that go beyond NIST standards?
No. Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, beginning 60 days after enactment, states may not require PIN or password changes or complexity rules that violate NIST standards (Section 4).
Do grocery stores have to install chip-enabled terminals to keep accepting SNAP?
Yes. According to HR7316 Section 7, retail food stores and wholesale food concerns must have a chip-enabled payment terminal at each location to be authorized or reauthorized for SNAP.
Can the USDA Inspector General investigate EBT skimming, cloning, and phishing across states?
Yes. Under the SNAP Payment Security and Fraud Prevention Act of 2026, the USDA Inspector General can investigate cyber-enabled SNAP theft, coordinate multi-jurisdictional cases, subpoena records, and work with DOJ, FBI, DHS, Secret Service, and others (Section 2).
Does HR7316 require a special report on EBT card security in Puerto Rico?
Yes. According to HR7316 Section 8, the Secretary of Agriculture must submit a Puerto Rico EBT security report within 1 year of enactment, including cloning resistance and improvement recommendations.
Based on H.R. 7316 bill text
HR7316 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 2, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
About the Sponsor
Nicole Malliotakis
Republican, New York's 11th congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: Joint Economic Committee, Ways and Means
View full profile →
Committee Sponsors
Agriculture Committee
0 of 53 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
28 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 7316 change?
3 changes
Sections Amended
Section 16 of Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025)
adding at the end the following: ``(i) Office of Inspector General Coordination Authority
Section 15 of Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2024)
adding at the end the following: ``(g) Civil Penalty for Theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits
Section 7(h) of Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(h))
adding at the end the following: ``(15) Cybersecurity of ebt cards
H.R. 7316 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Agriculture
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Agriculture and Food
- Introduced
- Feb 2, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Feb 2, 2026
H.R. 7316 Bill Text
“To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require the promulgation of cybersecurity regulations and implementation of EMV technology relating to the use of EBT cards under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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