More than $15 million in nutrition benefits were stolen from Pennsylvanians in one year alone through the use of illegal skimming devices and weak security measures, according to the Office of State Inspector General.
A bill that would add secure chip technology to benefit cards has passed the state House with unanimous support! Thank you to advocates who made this bipartisan success possible in the House! Now, please urge your senator to support passage of HB2540 and fund the transition to secure chip-enabled cards in this year’s budget.
Find your House member here and thank them for supporting this protection!
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) skimming is the electronic theft of funds using illegal devices on Point of Sale (POS) machines that collect cardholders’ information to make unauthorized purchases using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds. Skimmers target consumers who use SNAP to purchase food because EBT cards are not chip-enabled in Pennsylvania, making it easy for thieves to access users’ card numbers and PINs.
Loss of these benefits jeopardizes many families’ access to food, further exacerbating hardship. Because Congress ended federal authority to replace stolen SNAP benefits on December 20, 2024, when theft occurs, families are left without recourse.
Chip EBT cards will protect already-struggling Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP. The General Assembly should act now to stop the widespread theft of low-income Pennsylvanian’s nutrition benefits by funding the transition to secure chip-enabled EBT cards in the FY 2026-27 budget.
This overwhelming bipartisan support shows that simple, cost-effective changes can be made to support those who use SNAP. On the next page, send a message to your PA lawmakers to encourage them to support HB2540 and to include it in the budget.
Remember to include a personal note explaining why caring for our neighbors who use SNAP is important to you!
