This bill mandates the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) to distribute contactless electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards to all eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients by January 31, 2027. The contactless EBT cards will allow users to complete transactions by waving or tapping the card at point-of-sale terminals or ATMs. The DHS is required to enter into or modify agreements with third-party vendors for the production and issuance of these cards and must terminate any agreements with vendors that fail to meet the deadline. Additionally, the department must publish a county-by-county progress report on the distribution of these cards within six months of the bill's enactment.

Furthermore, the Commissioner of Human Services is tasked with applying for necessary federal waivers and grants to facilitate the implementation of this bill. The legislation builds on previous appropriations, which allocated $1.7 million for the replacement of existing SNAP EBT cards with those featuring embedded microchip technology, and ensures that the DHS adheres to a statutory timeline for this initiative.