Read the full stored bill text
S445 SHH Statement 3/16/26
SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No.
445
STATE
OF NEW JERSEY
DATED:
�MARCH 16,
2026
����� The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens
Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 445.
����� This bill directs the Commissioners of Human Services
and Health, respectively, to provide information to certain benefit recipients
regarding card skimming and cloning and to replace stolen benefits under
fraudulent circumstances.� Specifically, the Commissioner of Human Services is
responsible for implementing these provisions for the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Work First New Jersey Program (WFNJ), while
the Commissioner of Health is responsible for implementing the provisions for
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC).� The bill also appropriates the necessary funds to the departments to
support the provisions of the bill.� As used under the bill, �skimming� means
the illegal installation of devices on
point-of-sale or automatic teller machine terminals to capture a cardholder�s
personal identification number and other data stored on the magnetic strip of
the
electronic benefits transfer card
; and �card cloning� means
making an unauthorized copy of an
electronic
benefits transfer card.�
����� Under the bill, each commissioner is to provide
information to program recipients regarding the: �risks of card skimming, card
cloning, and similar fraudulent methods; precautions a recipient can take to
avoid falling victim to fraudulent methods; claims process, established under
the bill, through which a recipient can have stolen benefits replaced; and
process by which a recipient can report stolen to the appropriate department or
to local law enforcement agencies.� This information is to be distributed to
recipients, at a minimum, at the point of enrollment and recertification in the
program and with the issuance of the recipient�s electronic benefits transfer
card.� Each commissioner is also required to post the information on the
department�s website and at eligibility determining offices.
�����
The bill mandates the
commissioners to establish a claims process, that mirrors the provisions of
federal law regarding the replacement of stolen SNAP benefits, by which a
recipient�s stolen program benefits can be replaced by either federal or State
funds, subject to availability
.�
The bill also
directs the commissioners to coordinate with vendors to implement available
precautions to reduce the vulnerability of electronic benefits transfer cards
to theft, such as the inclusion of an embedded microchip in all electronic benefits
transfer cards.
����� The bill requires the commissioners to report to the
Governor and the Legislature, 18 months following the effective date of the
bill, and annually thereafter, data regarding stolen and replaced program
benefits, as collected under the bill, as well as any other information that
demonstrates the departments� efforts to protect recipients from fraud.
����� This bill was prefiled for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review.� As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.