The bill establishes the Stolen SNAP Benefits Replacement Fund within the Department of Treasury, aimed at providing financial support to replace Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that have been stolen through fraudulent methods such as card skimming and cloning. The Commissioner of Human Services is tasked with creating a process for SNAP participants to apply for replacements, specifically for thefts occurring between the expiration of a federal program for replacing stolen benefits and the issuance of new chip technology electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards. The fund will be financed through a temporary supplemental fee of five percent on penalties collected from civil or criminal settlements involving the Attorney General, which will be deposited into the fund for the purpose of replacing stolen benefits.
Additionally, the bill appropriates $20 million from the Stolen SNAP Benefits Replacement Fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts for the development and maintenance of a standardized computer system necessary for the collection of the supplemental fee and related administrative costs. The fund will be dissolved no less than three months after the Commissioner certifies that the state has transitioned to chip technology EBT cards for all SNAP participants. A report detailing the total amount of stolen benefits restored and the number of participants affected will be submitted to the Governor and Legislature within three months of the fund's dissolution.