,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #chhg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #aj1 #bjbe,mr4 
,nunn of ,iowa introduced the following 
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture  ,a ,,bill   
,to amend of the ,food and ,nutrition   
,act of #bjjh relating to punishment and
 compensation for the theft of          
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program benefits2 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,snap ,anti-,theft 
and ,victim ,compensation ,act of #bjbe4
  #b4 ,expanded investigative authority 
of the ,department of ,agriculture      
,inspector ,general ,section #af of the 
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbe7 is amended by adding at
 the end the following3  7i7 ,office of 
,inspector ,general coordination        
authority  7#a7 ,the ,inspector ,general
 of the ,department of ,agriculture     
shall have full authority to investigate
 and coordinate multi-jurisdictional    

efforts to prevent1 detect1 and         
prosecute theft1 misuse1 or fraudulent  
accessing of supplemental nutrition     
assistance program benefits1 including--
 7,a7 investigation of cyber-enabled    
benefit theft1 including skimming1      
cloning1 phishing1 spoofing1 and        
unauthorized access to ,,ebt systems2   
,issuing subpoenas1 executing warrants1 
and initiating civil or criminal        
referrals2  7,b7 issuance of subpoenas1 
executing warrants1 and initiating civil
 or criminal referrals2  7,c7           
coordination with the ,department of    
,justice1 the ,federal ,bureau of       
,investigation1 the ,department of      
,homeland ,security1 the ,secret        
,service1 ,state and local law          
enforcement1 and financial institutions2
  7,d7 requesting and receiving data    
from ,state ,,ebt processors and        
contracted vendors for investigative    
purposes2 and  7,e7 participation in    
interagency cyber task forces or fraud  
detection initiatives4  7#b7 ,the       

,secretary of ,agriculture may issue    
rules1 and allocate funds1 necessary to 
support the activities of the ,inspector
 ,general under this subsection4  4  #c4
 ,authority to reimburse stolen ,,snap  
benefits ,section #aa of the ,food and  
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjbj7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7y7 ,reimbursement for  
stolen benefits 4 7#a7 ,states are      
authorized to use supplemental nutrition
 assistance program benefit funds to    
reimburse households whose benefits are 
stolen due to no fault of their own1    
including via skimming1 cloning1 or     
other unauthorized electronic transfers4
  7#b7 ,reimbursement shall be made in  
accordance with guidance from the       
,secretary and shall not affect the     
household's monthly allotment or ongoing
 eligibility4  7#c7 ,the ,secretary     
shall--  7,a7 provide technical         
assistance to ,states for fraud         
detection and claims validation2  7,b7  
maintain a centralized reporting        

database for benefit theft incidents2   
7,c7 require ,states to submit annual   
data on benefit theft and               
reimbursements4  7#d7 ,the ,secretary   
shall promulgate regulations as         
necessary to carry out this subsection4 
7#e7 ,the ,secretary shall review the   
necessity of this authority once all    
,states have successfully upgraded to   
secure payment technologies4  4  #d4 4  
,civil penalty for theft of ,,snap      
benefits ,section #ae of the ,food and  
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjbd7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7g7 ,civil penalty for  
theft of supplemental nutrition         
assistance program benefits 4 7#a7 ,any 
person who knowingly accesses1 uses1 or 
transfers supplemental nutrition        
assistance program benefits issued to   
household without authorization shall be
 liable to the ,united ,states for a    
civil penalty in an amount equal to     
twice the value of the benefits stolen4 
7#b7 ,the ,secretary may assess and     

enforce this penalty through an         
administrative proceeding under section 
#ad or through a civil action in a      
district court of the ,united ,states4  
7#c7 ,funds recovered under this        
subsection shall be used1 as determined 
by the ,secretary1 to offset the cost of
 reimbursing victims of benefit theft   
and the cost of the enhanced            
investigatory authority of the          
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
of ,agriculture4  7#d7 ,a civil penalty 
imposed under this subsection shall be  
in addition to any other civil or       
criminal penalty imposed under any other
 provision of this ,act or under any    
other provision of law4  4