STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A pair of Staten Island elected officials announced their latest efforts Thursday to curb fraud under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican representing Staten Island and part of South Brooklyn, and State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat representing the North Shore and part of South Brooklyn, each announced pieces of legislation aimed at curbing the tens of millions of dollars in fraud seen under the program each year.
“I am proud to stand with Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton in our shared commitment to combat this rampant fraud impacting our constituents,” Malliotakis said. “SNAP is a vital lifeline for thousands of families in our community, and this legislation will modernize the system, strengthen safeguards against abuse, and ensure taxpayer funds are protected and directed to those who truly rely on this program.”
The duo joined local seniors in 2024 at the New Lane New York City Housing Authority Development to decry fraudsters’ efforts to steal SNAP benefits and call for more law enforcement action.
Each year millions from the taxpayer-funded program are stolen driven primarily by by card skimming and cloning of beneficiaries’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Between October 2022 and December 2024, states reported over $320 million in SNAP theft, according to the elected officials.
“The skimming of SNAP benefits has impacted far too many of our constituents, with my office receiving numerous calls from seniors who discovered their SNAP funds were missing after grocery shopping,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “Our families should not have to skip meals or stretch limited budgets because of a system failure beyond their control.”
Malliotakis’ legislation would require chip technology on EBT cards by 2030 nationwide, and Scarcella-Spanton’s would do the same in New York by the end of June.
California, one of the two states that have upgraded to chip technology, has seen an 83% reduction in stolen SNAP reimbursements, according to the elected officials.
“This legislation will get the root of the problem to better protect public assistance funds from theft, protecting families already facing financial hardship,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “This bipartisan effort alongside Congresswoman Malliotakis will help ensure that New Yorkers approved for SNAP benefits do not have to worry about how they will put food on the table.”