SNAP Anti-Theft and Victim Compensation Act of 2025 — Full text

Section 1. Short title

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

Section 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:

(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.

Section 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:

(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.

Section 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:

(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.