Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, legislators and advocates gather in the Capitol to rally for legislation protecting SNAP recipients. Photo: Office of Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
Feb. 18, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas joined advocates and fellow legislators at a rally urging the passage of legislation to combat SNAP fraud by creating a victims’ compensation fund and transitioning New York State to chip-enabled EBT cards.
González-Rojas, who represents New York’s 34th District—including Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside—has long advocated for food security. On Wednesday, Feb. 12, she was joined at the Capitol by Assembly Members Marcela Mitaynes (District 51, Red Hook) and Khaleel M. Anderson (District 31, the Rockaways), along with several advocates, ahead of the New York State Legislative Budget Hearing on Human Services.
Assembly Members Yudelka Tapia and Grace Lee joined last week’s rally, along with representatives from United Neighborhood Houses, Hunger Solutions New York, the Legal Aid Society, AARP, and several other non-profit groups advocating for SNAP recipients.
Legislators and non-profits stated that federal reimbursement programs aiding the victims of SNAP fraud have expired, leaving thousands of New Yorkers struggling to feed their families, and pointed out that SNAP fraud continues to take place despite the expiry of federal refunds. They also stated that skimming – a method of financial fraud used to obtain a victim’s card information at an ATM or a point-of-sale – continues to “plague” the SNAP system.
Photo: Office of Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
Advocates called on the State Legislature to pass A3578, which would provide $50 million to establish a SNAP and cash assistance fraud victims compensation fund, and A0699, which would provide $40 million to transition New York State to the use of chip cards and offset the threat of skimming.
Advocates stated that using magnetic-strip benefit cards with encrypted chip technology, commonly used in credit and debit cards, would help significantly tackle SNAP fraud, reducing the need for refunds.
However, Congressional efforts to transition to chip cards have stalled, prompting several states to move ahead on their own. California and Oklahoma are set to introduce chips for EBT cards later this year.
González-Rojas, who co-sponsored both bills, said the legislative efforts would help ensure that New York’s SNAP recipients can feed their families.
“New York is dealing with a hunger epidemic, with thousands of New Yorkers going without meals every day. We have to fight this crisis head-on and stop hunger where we can,” González-Rojas said. “With the rising cost of food and rent, we must do our job and deliver relief.”
Advocates stated that SNAP benefits stolen on or after Dec. 21 last year are not eligible for federal refunds but said thousands of New Yorkers are still falling victim to SNAP theft. They said New York’s SNAP and cash assistance fraud victims compensation fund would help mitigate the loss of federal reimbursements.
They further stated that the compensation fund represents a short-term measure to assist SNAP recipients who have been victims of fraud. In contrast, the transition to chip cards represents a long-term solution to prevent SNAP fraud from taking place.
Anderson, Chair of the Task Force on Food, Farm, and Nutrition Policy, said thousands of innocent New Yorkers have been victims of SNAP card skimming.
Anderson called for more protections for SNAP recipients and an expansion of SNAP minimums in New York State.
“We must expand the SNAP minimum to $100 and provide a compensation fund! We must also fully modernize the EBT card with security chips and other proactive steps,” Anderson said in a statement.
Mitaynes said the expiry of the federal SNAP reimbursement left thousands of New Yorkers with no recourse to obtain a refund and urged the State Legislature to approve legislation supporting SNAP recipients.
“We have the opportunity to reduce the likelihood of people becoming victims to SNAP fraud while also providing an avenue for reimbursement. This is how we step up and support our working class,” Mitaynes said.
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