HB 2540 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, providing for transition to chip-enabled access cards.

This bill directs Pennsylvania's Human Services department to replace current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cards with new chip-enabled versions by January 1, 2028. The new cards will be provided free of charge to eligible recipients and will include security features like tap-to-pay technology to prevent benefit theft. The department must issue regular reports on the transition progress to state legislators and take steps to secure funding, including applying for federal grants.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

House Passage

Jun 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced May 27, 2026 Last action Jun 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN3440 → Printer's No. PN3513 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add specific requirements for distributing chip-enabled access cards, including a mandate that the department provide one free card per eligible recipient and establish procedures for emergency distribution. The amendment also requires the department to perform public outreach via its website and maximize federal funding by a specific deadline. Additionally, the effective date of the act remains immediate, but the transition timeline and reporting requirements were expanded to include enhanced security features and broader stakeholder reporting.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include explicit mandates for free card distribution, emergency distribution procedures, and public outreach, in addition to the original requirement for transitioning to chip-enabled technology.

REQUIREMENT

The department must provide one chip-enabled access card per eligible recipient at no cost to the recipient.

The department must establish a procedure to distribute access cards to eligible recipients in emergency situations.

The department must perform outreach to recipients, including posting resources and FAQs on its website regarding the transition.

The department must take steps to maximize funding from federal or other sources by October 1, 2026.

The transition requirement now explicitly mandates balancing efficiency with cost-effectiveness while providing enhanced security features like tap-to-pay technology to prevent benefit theft.

New reporting requirements were added to include specific details on balancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness and providing enhanced security features.

Floor votes · House Jun 15, 2026

How they voted

201–0

Passed

Total votes 201

Jun 15, 2026

D Democratic102

102 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican99

99 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 25, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Appropriations

upper

Jun 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported as committed

upper

Jun 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to Health & Human Services

upper

Jun 15, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third consideration and final passage

lower

Jun 15, 2026

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Committee

Re-committed to Appropriations

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jun 3, 2026

Committee

Re-committed to Rules

lower

Jun 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported as amended

lower

May 27, 2026

Committee

Referred to Human Services

lower

1 primary · 32 co-sponsors