Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students Act of 2025 or the MEALS Act of 2025
This bill requires the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to prescribe fraud prevention measures for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (or Summer EBT) program and provide for the replacement of the full amount of a student's stolen benefits. Summer EBT provides electronic benefits that can be redeemed for groceries to households with eligible children over the summer months.
Specifically, using funds provided by FNS, a participating state agency must provide a household with replacement Summer EBT benefits if the state agency determines that the benefits were stolen, and the agency meets certain requirements. The benefits must be equal to the amount of benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning, or similar fraudulent methods.
Further, for state agencies and Indian tribal organizations that administer the Summer EBT program, FNS must
issue guidance on security measures that are effective in detecting and preventing the theft of benefits (e.g., through card skimming or card cloning), and
promulgate regulations to require them to take the appropriate security measures and implement procedures for the replacement of benefits.
In addition, FNS must coordinate with the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to establish (1) measures to prevent Summer EBT benefits from being stolen, and (2) standard reporting methods.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress that examines the risks related to Summer EBT benefit payment system security.
