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

June 4, 2026

HARRISBURG – Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) Republican chair of the House Human Services Committee announced the committee held a voting meeting Wednesday and unanimously approved legislation designed to make Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits more secure.

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 the prevalence of skimming,” Heffley said. “More than $15 million in SNAP benefits were stolen this way in 2024. The transition to chip-enabled EBT cards is a necessary step to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure public assistance benefits reach those who truly need them.”

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 in the Human Services Code through House Bill 749.

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.

“As benefit theft through card skimming and cloning continues to rise, we have a responsibility to provide recipients with the same security protections that most Americans already receive through their debit and credit cards,” Williams said. “For families relying on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, a stolen benefit card can mean going without groceries, and unlike traditional bank customers, they often have limited options for recovery.”

An amendment added to House Bill 2540 ensures all recipients receive one chip-enabled card at no cost and requires DHS to issue cards in emergency situations.

House Bill 2540 now moves to the full House for consideration.

A recording of the meeting can be found here: House Human Services Committee – June 3, 2026.



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