Income Tax Credit - Venison Donation - Alterations
HB0175 revises Maryland law governing Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and the restoration of benefits lost through theft or fraud. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to restore stolen benefits without further action from the household once the Department confirms the loss, and it bars the Department from requiring a police report or limiting the number of months of restoration. It also establishes a process for households to challenge restoration decisions, including temporary restoration while a hearing is pending, and sets limits on recoupment if the hearing outcome is unfavorable.
The bill also creates a retroactive claims process for benefits stolen between January 1, 2021 and July 1, 2025, with claims due by June 30, 2026 and payments due by September 30, 2026, subject to the State budget. In addition, it directs the State to prefer vendors with insurance and identity-protection features in EBT procurement, requires coordination on enhanced anti-theft technology, and mandates annual reporting to the General Assembly on EBT security, fraud, reimbursements, and demographic data. The bill further requires automated teller machines in Maryland to be able to process and dispense cash from EBT cards by January 1, 2026.
HB0175 amends the Human Services Article and the Financial Institutions Article. It expands the Department of Human Services’ obligations to reimburse and restore EBT benefits lost to theft, adds procedural protections for households, creates a time-limited retroactive claims program, and imposes reporting requirements. It also broadens the statutory definition of automated teller machine to include machines that process and dispense cash from EBT cards and requires ATM operators to ensure that functionality by January 1, 2026. The bill affects EBT recipients, DHS administration, EBT vendors, and ATM operators, while making restoration subject to appropriations and budget limits.
The bill appears generally supportive of beneficiaries and anti-fraud protections, reflecting a policy focus on restoring stolen public benefits and improving EBT security. Because the bill text and available context do not include committee testimony or recorded votes on HB0175 itself, there is no documented opposition or support from the discussion record provided. The measure’s structure suggests an emphasis on administrative relief for households and stronger safeguards rather than controversy over eligibility or benefit levels.
The main points of potential contention are fiscal and operational. Requiring automatic restoration, retroactive reimbursement for past thefts, enhanced vendor protections, and ATM functionality could create costs for the Department and for private operators, and the bill expressly makes restoration subject to the State budget. Another possible issue is the mandate that ATM operators support EBT cash access, which may require equipment upgrades or compliance changes. The bill also limits the Department’s ability to require police reports or cap the number of restoration months, which may be viewed as reducing administrative discretion, though no specific opposition is shown in the provided record.