US SB3949

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate cybersecurity regulations within 2 years mandating chip-enabled EBT cards, with states required to begin issuing them within 2 years of final regulations, stop issuing magnetic stripe cards within 4 years, and replace all existing magnetic stripe cards within 5 years

Mandates states provide multiple user interfaces (web portals, mobile apps, text message, phone, and non-digital options) for SNAP households to manage accounts, receive transaction alerts, report fraud, and check enrollment status, with interfaces available 99% of the time and in required languages

Establishes federal reimbursement to states for all reasonable costs of upgrading to chip-enabled EBT cards, including vendor fees and postage, plus creates a grant program for retailers in limited grocery access areas to upgrade payment terminals

Requires replacement EBT cards be delivered within 3 business days and prohibits states from charging replacement fees for cards that malfunction, are subject to external fraud, expire, or must be replaced for regulatory compliance

Directs the Secretary to publish biennial reports on benefit theft trends, cybersecurity effectiveness, and online transaction security, with separate reporting requirements for Puerto Rico EBT card security