The Pennsylvania Senate voted 49 to 0 on June 23, 2026 to pass Senate Bill 362, legislation from Senator Lisa Boscola that sharply increases the criminal penalties for stealing SNAP and EBT benefits through card skimming. The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania House.

Retailers are central to this problem, and not because they are suspected of anything. Skimming devices are physically installed on the point of sale terminals and card readers sitting on store counters. The store is the crime scene, the equipment is the store’s, and the customer whose benefits vanish is the store’s customer.

What SB 362 changes

The bill updates Pennsylvania’s Human Services Code to reach criminals who steal benefit information through skimming, scanning devices, reencoders, and other methods used to replicate or misuse a recipient’s access device information. Its main provisions:

  • A first offense becomes a felony of the third degree.
  • A second or subsequent offense becomes a felony of the second degree.
  • Restitution is required from the offender.
  • The statute of limitations extends from four years to five.
  • Prior similar offenses count, whether they occurred in Pennsylvania, in another state, or under federal law.

The scale of the theft

More than 1.7 million Pennsylvanians received SNAP benefits as of May 2026. The Office of State Inspector General reported that more than $15 million in benefits were stolen through skimming in 2024 alone. From January through May 2026, over 5,100 EBT skimming cases accounted for roughly $2.5 million in stolen benefits.

“SNAP skimming is not petty theft,” Senator Boscola said. “These are calculated crimes that can wipe out a family’s food budget in minutes.”

Why this lands on retailers

A skimmer is typically a thin overlay placed on top of a card reader, or a device installed inside a terminal, that captures the card’s magnetic stripe data and the PIN. EBT cards remain magnetic stripe cards in most states, which makes them far easier to clone than a chip enabled credit card. Once the data is captured, benefits are drained the moment they load for the month.

Practical steps store operators in Pennsylvania should be taking:

  1. Inspect card readers daily. Tug the reader housing and the keypad. An overlay usually moves, sits proud of the frame, or covers screw holes. Photograph your terminals when they are known to be clean so staff have a reference.
  2. Restrict physical access to terminals and check the seals on any unattended or outdoor pump readers.
  3. Look for the pattern. Skimming crews commonly install a device and return days later to retrieve it. Repeat visitors handling terminals without buying anything are worth a look on camera.
  4. Tell your SNAP customers about EBT card lock. Pennsylvania’s ConnectEBT website and mobile app let recipients lock a card when it is not in use, with auto re-lock after 30, 60, or 90 minutes. A locked card blocks all purchases and balance inquiries, which defeats a cloned card outright. This is the single most effective thing a cashier can mention.
  5. Report suspected devices immediately to local law enforcement and to your terminal provider, and preserve camera footage.

Outlook

SB 362 passed the Senate without a single dissenting vote, and Senator Boscola has urged the House to take it up quickly. AARA supports stronger deterrence here. Our members bear the reputational cost when a customer’s benefits are stolen at their counter, and they carry the expense of inspecting and replacing compromised equipment. We will track the bill through the House and notify Pennsylvania members if it reaches the Governor.

Sources