As Passed by the Senate

136th General Assembly

Regular Session Sub. S. B. No. 315

2025-2026

Senators Schaffer, Craig

Cosponsors: Senators Koehler, DeMora, Weinstein, Antonio, Brenner, Romanchuk, Blackshear, Cirino, Hicks-Hudson, Ingram, Johnson, Lang, Liston, O'Brien, Patton, Reineke, Reynolds, Roegner, Smith, Timken

To require Ohio's SNAP program to begin using chip-enabled EBT cards, to name this act the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act, and to make an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. All items in this act are hereby appropriated as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 2026 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2027. The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years.

Section 2.

SNAP EBT MODERNIZATION

The foregoing appropriation items 600569, SNAP EBT Modernization, and 600610, Food Assistance Programs, shall be used to support the transition to chip-enabled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program electronic benefit transfer cards. In implementing this transition, the Department of Job and Family Services shall ensure that all new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program electronic benefit transfer cards that are issued are chip-enabled and shall replace existing electronic benefit transfer cards with chip-enabled cards under the Department's ordinary timeframe for replacing electronic benefit transfer cards.

On July 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Director of Job and Family Services may certify to the Director of Budget and Management an amount up to the unexpended, unencumbered balance associated with these appropriations at the end of fiscal year 2027 to be reappropriated to fiscal year 2028. The amounts certified are hereby reappropriated to the same appropriation items for fiscal year 2028.

Section 3. Within the limits set forth in this act, the Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from operating appropriations contained in this act shall be accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all applicable provisions of, H.B. 96 of the 136th General Assembly.

Section 4. This act shall be known as the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act.