PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill to add a layer of security to SNAP EBT cards, which would phase out the current access card and add microchips for added protection to new cards.
According to the latest data on SNAP benefit theft gathered in 2024 by Pennsylvania’s Office of the Inspector General, more than $15 million was stolen from cards through skimming.
Marilyn Ross is a recent victim. She told our partners at NBC10 she gets a little more than $1,100 a month in SNAP benefits to feed her daughters.
“Somebody logged into my account,” she said. “There was a penny left. I was like, ‘I have to be dreaming, it doesn’t make sense.’”
Ross said about 16 fraudulent transactions were posted to her SNAP account within minutes, and occurred in Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.
“It’s really hard when you’re trying your best and you think you’re making steps forward, and someone comes to pull the rug basically from beneath your feet,” she said. “You just feel so violated. It makes you so mad. Those are your babies and someone took from them.”
Her story is one of many that motivated Democratic state Rep. Dan Williams to partner with Republican state Rep. Doyle Heffley on the legislation to transition the state’s EBT cards to chip-enabled ones.
“It is another layer of security that will allow those resources to remain in the possession of people who need them the most,” Williams told NBC10.
The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration. Williams said it’s vital the bill gets to Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“We need to be knocking on the doors of every senator, making sure that this comes to floor vote in the Senate and we get this to the governor’s desk.”
Should the bill get signed, the chip-enabled cards would roll out in 2028.
