Chip-Enabled EBT Card Security Measure Included in State Budget Plan, Says Heffley

July 13, 2026

HARRISBURG – Policy led by Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), Republican chair of the House Human Services Committee, aimed at reducing theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits has been included in the state budget agreement.

Heffley co-prime sponsored 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. Language mirroring that bill now appears in Senate Bill 146, which updates the state’s Fiscal Code to, among other things, direct the distribution of funding from 2026-27 budget.

“I’m thankful we passed this measure which 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.”

"SNAP benefits are a lifeline for many Pennsylvania families," Williams said. "No one should go hungry due to fraud. We took the necessary step to ensure food remains on the table and not into the hands of criminals."

Unlike modern debit and credit cards, EBT cards do not have chip security technology to protect against skimming devices.

Recent reporting showed there were more than 5,000 cases of card skimming in Pennsylvania in the past year.

“By not having this already in place, we exposed taxpayer-funded benefits to preventable fraud,” Heffley said. “Passing this legislation now, we 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.”

Heffley also 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.

“I’m grateful for the bipartisan, bicameral support that helped advance this to the governor’s desk,” Heffley said. “We are on the way to better protecting SNAP benefits and safeguarding taxpayer dollars through stronger, modern security measures.”

Representative Doyle Heffley
122nd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andrew Forgotch
717.772.9905
aforgotch@pahousegop.com
RepHeffley.com / Facebook.com/RepHeffley