Rep Nancy Mace Proposes Photo ID Requirement for SNAP EBT Cards to Reduce Fraud

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation aimed at curbing misuse of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring photo identification on SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, as reported by Fox News.

The proposal seeks to tighten verification procedures and limit the ability of ineligible individuals to access federally funded food assistance.

According to a press release, Mace said, “Taxpayers have had enough of watching their hard-earned dollars abused by people with no legal right to these benefits.”

She added that the plan is designed to ensure the intended recipients are the ones using the cards.

“This isn’t complicated, if you’re eligible for SNAP, your photo goes on the card and you’re the only one who uses it. Not fraudsters, not criminals, not someone borrowing a card they have no right to use. This is basic common sense, fairness, and protecting taxpayers and the American families who truly need food assistance.”

Congress.gov indicates that Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Barry Moore of Alabama are listed as original cosponsors of the measure.

The bill mandates that each EBT card issued to a household or individual include “a photographic image taken within the previous ten years, or in the case of a minor taken within the previous five years, of the authorized cardholder to whom the card is issued.”

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The requirement is intended to assist retailers in verifying that the person attempting to use the card is the one lawfully entitled to the benefits.

A separate section of the legislation requires participating retail food stores and wholesale food concerns to inspect the photograph on the card before completing a transaction.

The text states that stores “shall demand to see, and shall inspect, the photograph located on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card for every customer using an Electronic Benefit Transfer card to ensure the purchaser is entitled to utilize or redeem benefits under this chapter.”

The bill also includes provisions for situations in which a caregiver must access benefits on behalf of the recipient.

“The Secretary shall establish procedures for reasonable accommodations to allow caregivers of a minor, individual with disabilities, or an elderly individual to access benefits on behalf of a recipient in their care,” the measure notes.

Mace, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2021, is currently running for governor of South Carolina as she pushes forward with efforts she describes as focused on preventing fraud and ensuring funds reach eligible families.

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