SNAP Benefits: Protection and Reimbursement for Theft
A house committee must act next: committee consideration.
Protecting low-income families from fraud usually gets support from both parties, but the bill still needs to move through the committee process.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
People who knowingly steal, use, or transfer someone else's SNAP benefits without authorization would face a new civil penalty equal to double the value of what they stole, on top of any existing criminal charges. This creates a significant new financial liability for anyone caught committing benefit fraud or theft.
“Any person who knowingly accesses, uses, or transfers supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issued to household without authorization shall be liable to the United States for a civil penalty in an amount equal to twice the value of the benefits stolen.”
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Zach Nunn introduced the SNAP Anti-Theft and Victim Compensation Act of 2025 to expand USDA investigative powers and authorize states to compensate families for stolen benefits. The bill establishes a civil penalty of twice the value of stolen benefits to act as a deterrent.
Rep. Zach Nunn met with a veteran victim to introduce legislation strengthening SNAP fraud investigations and restoring payments. The bill aims to centralize fraud investigations within the USDA OIG and provide automatic reimbursement for verified losses due to skimming and cloning.
Following the expiration of federal reimbursement authority in late 2024, Rep. Zach Nunn introduced a bill in June 2025 to allow states to again reimburse SNAP benefits stolen through electronic fraud. The act would use funds from new civil penalties to cover victim compensation costs.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
SNAP Anti-Theft and Victim Compensation Act of 2025
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