Late in 2022, Congress enacted legislation aimed at aiding SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries who had fallen prey to card skimming, cloning, and related fraudulent activities. This new law permits the reinstatement of stolen benefits in certain circumstances.

States are expediently setting procedures in motion to assist individuals who have had their SNAP benefits unlawfully taken as a direct result of this newly adopted mandate. The law requires that state agencies first present their execution plan to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), detailing their procedures to handle claims and refund ill-gotten gains. In January 2023, states received guidance from FNS and were legally required to finalize their plans by February 27, 2023.

State plans from all 50 states, including D.C., Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have been duly submitted to FNS. The agency is diligently examining and endorsing these plans, liaising closely with states to verify information and ensure that all pre-approval requirements are met. Upon their plan’s sanction, states gain official authorization to utilize federal finances to substitute purloined SNAP benefits according to their approved plan.

Once endorsed, the FNS will catalog the plans on their website. Should any queries arise about particular state plans, they should be directed to the respective state’s SNAP agency.