Ensuring Fee-Free Benefit Transactions Act of 2023

Bill: 118-s-2449
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Introduced: 2023-07-20
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2023-07-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Ensuring Fee-Free Benefit Transactions Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill makes permanent the prohibition on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit transaction fees. The current prohibition expires at the end of FY2023.</p><p>The bill also specifies that the prohibition applies to states (and any agent, contractor, or subcontractor of a state who facilitates the provision of SNAP benefits) for costs for fraud prevention tools, coverage of infrastructure costs, and other costs associated with updating the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) processing infrastructure.&nbsp;</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2449 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 20, 2023 Mr. Luján (for himself and Mr. Welch ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to make permanent the moratorium on benefit transaction fees, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Fee-Free Benefit Transactions Act of 2023 . 2. Fee-free benefit transactions (a) In general Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2016 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (d), by striking the period at the end and inserting , including completeness of fraud protection and fraud prevention tools and coverage of infrastructure costs. ; (2) in subsection (f)(5)(B)(ii)— (A) by striking shall consider and inserting the following: shall— (I) consider ; (B) in subclause (I) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (II) require State agencies to review existing technology and contract requirements during each contracting period to ensure that EBT technology reflects commercial standards to ensure security of benefits. ; and (3) in subsection (h)(13), by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following: (B) Other fees No State, or any agent, contractor, or subcontractor of a State who facilitates the provision of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits in that State, may impose a fee for— (i) switching (as defined in subsection (j)(1)) or routing those benefits; (ii) costs to implement subsections (d) and (f)(5)(B); or (iii) other costs associated with updating the EBT processing infrastructure. . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by subsection (a) shall modify or affect the provisions of title IV of division HH of the Consolidation Appropriations Act, 2023 ( Public Law 117–328 ), or any agency action taken pursuant to those provisions. 3. Effective date This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2023.