SNAP Fraud Accountability Act
Sponsored By: Representative Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4]
Introduced
Summary
Lowers the monetary threshold that triggers criminal penalties for SNAP fraud from $5,000 to $1,000. This change would make smaller-value violations eligible for the same criminal penalties provided under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.
Show full summary
- Families and SNAP households: Households involved in violations worth $1,000 or more could face criminal penalties under the existing law. This makes lower-value benefit misuse more likely to meet the criminal threshold.
- Retailers and vendors: Stores or vendors with improper redemptions or other covered violations reaching $1,000 may be subject to criminal charges under the Act's current penalty rules.
- Law enforcement and prosecutors: Federal and state authorities could pursue cases at the lower dollar amount because the bill keeps the existing enforcement framework and penalties intact.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Lower SNAP fraud penalty threshold
If enacted, this bill would lower the dollar amount that triggers criminal penalties for SNAP violations from $5,000 to $1,000. It would do this by replacing every "$5,000" with "$1,000" in Section 15(b)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2024(b)(1)). Households or stores could face enforcement or criminal penalties for alleged overclaims of $1,000 or more, where previously the threshold was $5,000. The change would take effect upon enactment and otherwise leaves existing penalties and enforcement rules unchanged.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4]
SC • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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