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Council advances bill to secure EBT benefits, extend DC Flex rent subsidy
Summary
Council members placed on the consent agenda a bill to reduce public‑benefit theft by switching EBT cards to chip technology, create a reimbursement process for stolen benefits, and extend the DC Flex rent subsidy pilot for one year; sponsors estimate significant theft losses over three years and cite implementation costs.
The D.C. Council on Dec. 16 advanced legislation addressing public‑benefit theft and the district’s shallow rent subsidy pilot, placing the bill on the consent agenda during the committee of the whole.
Sponsor Council Member Fman described Bill 26‑367 as a response to more than $10 million in benefit theft over three years. The measure would require the District Department of Human Services to replace magnetic‑stripe EBT cards with chip‑enabled cards that generate one‑time codes to prevent easy cloning and skimming. The bill also creates a clear process for reimbursing residents whose benefits are stolen and extends DC Flex, the one‑year fixed annual rent subsidy pilot, for an additional year so the council can review a forthcoming pilot report before considering permanent legislation.
DHS officials and advocates were credited with collaborating on the bill. Council members asked about fiscal impact and replacement funding: the budget director reported a fiscal impact of $1.4 million in fiscal 2026 and $5.4 million over the financial plan. Sponsors said the one‑year extension provides time to assess the DC Flex pilot before deciding whether to make it permanent.
The committee placed the bill on the consent agenda for the legislative meeting; as a consent item its formal approval was routine unless a member pulled it for discussion.
