H.R. 3700: Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students Act of 2025 (MEALS Act of 2025), aims to address the issue of stolen summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits. Here’s an overview of what the bill proposes:

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Guidance and Rulemaking: The Secretary of Agriculture will provide ongoing guidance to state agencies and tribal organizations about security measures for detecting and preventing the theft of summer EBT benefits. This includes protection against theft methods such as card skimming and cloning.
• Implementation of Regulations: The Secretary will create regulations requiring states and tribal organizations to adopt these security measures. This process will involve public notice and comment to ensure input from relevant stakeholders.
• Data Collection and Reporting: States and tribal organizations participating in the program will need to submit regular reports on the scope of summer EBT benefit thefts. They will collect and share data on incidents of theft and the measures taken to prevent them.
• Replacement of Stolen Benefits: The bill mandates that state agencies and tribal organizations replace summer EBT benefits that are confirmed as stolen. This replacement will depend on specific conditions, including the procedures for validating claims of theft and the timely issuance of replacement benefits.
• Initial Plans for Replacement: Agencies currently participating in the program will need to submit their plans for replacing stolen benefits to the Secretary for approval within 60 days of the bill's enactment.
• Comptroller General's Report: Within two years of the bill’s enactment, the Comptroller General will submit a report evaluating risks to the summer EBT benefit payment system, including security issues related to theft.

Objectives of the Bill

The overarching goals of the MEALS Act of 2025 include:

• Enhancing the security of summer EBT benefits to protect against fraud.
• Ensuring that eligible households receive timely replacement of stolen benefits.
• Collecting data on the nature and frequency of theft incidents to better understand and mitigate security risks.

Implementation Timeline

• The Secretary of Agriculture must issue guidance and regulations within specified timeframes after the bill is enacted.
• State agencies and tribal organizations will have deadlines to submit their plans for replacing stolen benefits and must implement these plans upon approval.
• A report from the Comptroller General on payment system security is expected within two years after enactment.

Relevant Companies

None found.