SNAP Anti-Theft and Victim Compensation Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3887 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3887

 To amend of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 relating to punishment 
  and compensation for the theft of supplemental nutrition assistance 
               program benefits; and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 2025

 Mr. Nunn of Iowa introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                      the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 relating to punishment 
  and compensation for the theft of supplemental nutrition assistance 
               program benefits; and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SNAP Anti-Theft and Victim 
Compensation Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDED INVESTIGATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              AGRICULTURE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

    Section 16 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Office of Inspector General Coordination Authority.--
            ``(1) The Inspector General of the Department of 
        Agriculture shall have full authority to investigate and 
        coordinate multi-jurisdictional efforts to prevent, detect, and 
        prosecute theft, misuse, or fraudulent accessing of 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, including--
                    ``(A) investigation of cyber-enabled benefit theft, 
                including skimming, cloning, phishing, spoofing, and 
                unauthorized access to EBT systems; Issuing subpoenas, 
                executing warrants, and initiating civil or criminal 
                referrals;
                    ``(B) issuance of subpoenas, executing warrants, 
                and initiating civil or criminal referrals;
                    ``(C) coordination with the Department of Justice, 
                the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of 
                Homeland Security, the Secret Service, State and local 
                law enforcement, and financial institutions;
                    ``(D) requesting and receiving data from State EBT 
                processors and contracted vendors for investigative 
                purposes; and
                    ``(E) participation in interagency cyber task 
                forces or fraud detection initiatives.
            ``(2) The Secretary of Agriculture may issue rules, and 
        allocate funds, necessary to support the activities of the 
        Inspector General under this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO REIMBURSE STOLEN SNAP BENEFITS.

    Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(y) Reimbursement for Stolen Benefits.--.
            ``(1) States are authorized to use supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program benefit funds to reimburse households whose 
        benefits are stolen due to no fault of their own, including via 
        skimming, cloning, or other unauthorized electronic transfers.
            ``(2) Reimbursement shall be made in accordance with 
        guidance from the Secretary and shall not affect the 
        household's monthly allotment or ongoing eligibility.
            ``(3) The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) provide technical assistance to States for 
                fraud detection and claims validation;
                    ``(B) maintain a centralized reporting database for 
                benefit theft incidents;
                    ``(C) require States to submit annual data on 
                benefit theft and reimbursements.
            ``(4) The Secretary shall promulgate regulations as 
        necessary to carry out this subsection.
            ``(5) The Secretary shall review the necessity of this 
        authority once all States have successfully upgraded to secure 
        payment technologies.''.

SEC. 4. . CIVIL PENALTY FOR THEFT OF SNAP BENEFITS.

    Section 15 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2024) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Civil Penalty for Theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program Benefits.--.
            ``(1) Any person who knowingly accesses, uses, or transfers 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issued to 
        household without authorization shall be liable to the United 
        States for a civil penalty in an amount equal to twice the 
        value of the benefits stolen.
            ``(2) The Secretary may assess and enforce this penalty 
        through an administrative proceeding under section 14 or 
        through a civil action in a district court of the United 
        States.
            ``(3) Funds recovered under this subsection shall be used, 
        as determined by the Secretary, to offset the cost of 
        reimbursing victims of benefit theft and the cost of the 
        enhanced investigatory authority of the Inspector General of 
        the Department of Agriculture.
            ``(4) A civil penalty imposed under this subsection shall 
        be in addition to any other civil or criminal penalty imposed 
        under any other provision of this Act or under any other 
        provision of law.''.
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