The "Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act of 2026" aims to significantly improve the security and digital services associated with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate comprehensive cybersecurity and digital service regulations for EBT cards and mobile technologies within two years, with regular updates every five years. These regulations must ensure that security measures keep pace with those used by the private sector and other federal agencies for payment cards.

The bill requires states to operate various user interfaces, including web-based online portals and mobile applications, allowing households to manage their EBT accounts. These interfaces must be mobile-friendly, available at least 99% of the time, and provide information in all required languages, also offering an application programming interface (API) for third-party software access without fees. States must provide households with opt-in electronic notices of EBT transactions and access to at least 12 months of historical transaction data, including merchant details and transaction amounts.

Crucially, the regulations will require states to offer the ability to report fraudulent transactions through these user interfaces and notify fraud victims about potential reimbursements for future theft. The bill also ensures that if an EBT card is damaged, lost, stolen, or frozen due to fraud, states must provide a replacement within three business days, with no replacement fees for such issues, card expiration, or required regulatory upgrades.

A major provision involves the transition to more secure EBT cards, requiring states to begin issuing chip-enabled EBT cards within two years of the regulations becoming final, cease issuing new magnetic stripe cards after four years, and reissue all existing magnetic stripe cards as chip-enabled within five years. Federal reimbursement will cover all reasonable costs incurred by states for this upgrade, and retail food stores will be required to have chip-enabled payment terminals as a condition for SNAP participation. The Secretary will also establish a grant program to help eligible retailers upgrade their payment terminals.

The legislation specifically addresses online transaction security, requiring robust measures to detect and prevent benefit theft and protect sensitive data during online purchases. It mandates the collection and public reporting of data on user interface availability, state cybersecurity measures, and trends related to benefit theft, including those from online transactions, to inform ongoing improvements.