Section 1607-T. Transition to chip-enabled access cards.
(a) Requirement.--To the extent money is appropriated for this purpose, the Department of Human Services shall transition all access cards for use in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to include chip-enabled technology no later than January 1, 2028.
(b) Fiscal responsibility.--The Department of Human Services shall implement the transition under subsection (a) in a manner that balances efficiency and cost-effectiveness and provides enhanced security features such as tap-to-pay technology or other technology to prevent benefit theft.
(c) Cost.--The department shall provide one chip-enabled access card per eligible recipient at no cost to the recipient.
(d) Duty of department.--The Department of Human Services shall:
(1) Within 90 days of chip-enabled access cards being made available in every county, issue a final report evaluating the transition to chip-enabled access cards under this section to:
(i) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate.
(ii) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives.
(2) Perform outreach to vendors on the transition under subsection (a), including system upgrades that a vendor may need to implement.
(3) Perform outreach to recipients on the transition, including posting on the department's publicly accessible Internet website, in a shareable format, resources and frequently asked questions regarding the use of access cards with chip-enabled technology.
(4) Establish a procedure to distribute access cards to eligible recipients in emergency situations.
(5) Take necessary steps, where possible, to maximize funding with Federal or other funding sources by October 1, 2026.
(e) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the Department of Human Services' authority to implement future changes to access cards to enhance benefit security.
(1607-T added July 12, 2026, P.L.265, No.21)