Amendments

Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended— (1) in subsection (e) by inserting or from the reissuance of benefits stolen by identity theft or typical skimming practices after mail; and (2) in subsection (h)(7)— (A) by striking Regulations and inserting the following: (A) Reissuance of benefits Regulations; and (B) by adding at end the following: (B) Reissuance of stolen benefits (i) Issuance of regulations The Secretary shall issue regulations, consistent with the procedures determined by the Secretary under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 501(b)(1) of division HH of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328; 7 U.S.C. 2016a(b)(1)), without regard to the limitations in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 501(b)(2) of such Act— (I) to establish criteria and best practices for State agencies to identify supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits stolen by identity theft or typical skimming practices in a way that minimizes the burden of victim households to establish the theft; (II) to provide for the reissuance to households of benefits stolen by identity theft, or typical skimming practices, that meet such criteria; and (III) to permit State agencies to reissue stolen benefits to the same household, provided the Secretary has approved a State agency’s transition plan in accordance with section 16(l)(2). (ii) Status report Not later than 240 days after the Secretary issues regulations under clause (i), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the status of benefits reissued under such regulations that includes— (I) a detailed description of the prevalence of stolen benefits for which benefits are reissued under such regulations; (II) an examination of current barriers, feasibility, and impact on participant access and ease of use in developing an electronic benefit transfer card that contains technologies such as an embedded microchip in common use in the financial services industry along with the traditional magnetic stripe; and (III) such other information as by the Secretary considers to be appropriate. (iii) Stolen benefit reissuance report Not later than 120 days after end of each fiscal year that begins after the Secretary issues regulations under clause (i), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make available to the public, a report for such fiscal year with respect to each State that includes the aggregate value of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits reissued under such regulations and the number of households to which such benefits were reissued. (iv) Evaluation To maximize the accessibility and security of electronic benefit transfer cards, the Secretary shall periodically review and modify such regulations to take into account evolving technology and the threat landscape to better protect against benefit theft..