SNAP benefits will see more scrutiny with the passage of House Bill 2214, which was signed into law on July 28. In a July 31 Facebook post, Sen. Mattie Hunter shared her thoughts on the importance of tracking SNAP benefit fraud.
“SNAP benefits are a lifeline for many Illinois families, and it’s important that we do everything we can to ensure these benefits reach those who need them most,” Hunter said. “This new law will help us understand the scope of the problem and develop more effective solutions.”
House Bill 2214, now known as Public Act 103-0297, requires the Illinois Department of Human Services to “track and collect data on the frequency of SNAP benefits fraud in Illinois, where a SNAP recipient’s benefits are stolen from the recipient’s electronic benefits transfer card by means of card skimming, card cloning or some other similar fraudulent method.” The bill also notes that if the investigation reveals that a report of stolen benefits by a SNAP recipient is substantiated, DHS is obligated to “refer the matter to the attorney general and shall provide any assistance to the attorney general in the prosecution of the alleged theft or fraud.”
Rep. Justin Slaughter filed the bill on Feb. 7 and it moved to the Senate on March 27. It passed both Houses on May 17 and was approved by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on July 28.
“Congress passed legislation (in 2022) to replace SNAP benefits stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024. House Bill 2214 serves as a starting point for Illinois to gain a clearer understanding of the scope and frequency of SNAP benefit fraud in the state, allowing for more effective measures to be put in place to combat this issue,” a press release from Hunter’s office read. “Every dollar allocated for SNAP assistance needs to reach those who need it, and this law is a step forward in our fight against fraud.”
Illinois residents who use SNAP benefits and were defrauded last year are beginning to see their benefits returned, according to a CBS News report. The news organization used a graphic showing there were 5,000 reports of SNAP fraud between August 2022 and July 2023, according to data from the Illinois Department of Human Services and LexisNexis Risk Solutions.
