§3336 Electronic Benefit Transfer Pilot

Summary

The Secretary must keep running the current electronic benefit transfer (EBT) pilot to send benefit payments electronically to people who do not have bank accounts. Congress says EBT is safe, dependable, and less costly; naming banks as federal financial agents is a proper use of the Secretary’s power; a joint federal‑state EBT card is convenient and saves money; and picking a financial agent is a special service that may be offered to states under section 6501 and the following sections. The pilot must include naming one or more financial institutions as the Government’s financial agents and giving participating states the chance to contract with the agent the Secretary selects, as described in the Invitation for Expressions of Interest dated March 9, 1995, as amended June 30, 1995, July 7, 1995, and August 1, 1995. Decisions about choosing agents, the pilot design, and related matters cannot be reviewed by courts.