House Unanimously Passes Bill to Transition SNAP Benefits to Chip Enabled EBT Cards

June 15, 2026

HARRISBURG - A bill aimed at cutting down the theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which is co-prime sponsored by Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), Republican chair of the House Human Services Committee, has passed the House unanimously.

Heffley is working on House Bill 2540 with Rep. Dan Williams (D-Chester), Democratic chair of the House Human Services Committee. The bipartisan bill would upgrade Pennsylvania's Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to include chip-enabled technology.

"This legislation will help improve the security of access cards and reduce fraud and abuse," Heffley said. "This is a necessary step to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure public assistance benefits reach those who truly need them. I'm grateful to work alongside Rep. Williams on this bill."

"Unlike modern debit and credit cards, EBT cards do not have chip security technology to protect against skimming devices," Williams said. "Loss of these benefits jeopardizes many families' access to food and with stolen SNAP benefits no longer being replaced, it's critical that we make EBT cards as secure as possible."

While speaking on the House floor in support of the bill, Heffley cited a news article that said there have been more than 5,000 cases of card skimming in Pennsylvania in the past year.

Heffley previously co-sponsored House Bill 1429 with Williams, directing the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), which oversees SNAP, to study the cost and logistics of moving to chip-enabled EBT cards. The bill was enacted last year in the Human Services Code, through Act 46 of 2025.

According to the DHS report, upgrading to chip-enabled EBT and enabling tap-to-pay technology are the most effective ways to reduce the theft of SNAP benefits.

Heffley thanked House members who supported the measure and also encouraged the swift passage of the bill by the Senate. He said if the legislation is enacted prior to Oct. 1, 2026, it would strengthen access-card security, protect benefit integrity, and allow the Commonwealth to qualify for a 50% federal funding match to help defray the implementation costs.

House Bill 2540 now moves to Senate for consideration.

Representative Doyle Heffley
122nd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andrew Forgotch
717.772.9905
[email protected]
RepHeffley.com / Facebook.com/RepHeffley