The Texas legislature is considering multiple bills that would require photographs to be placed on Lone Star EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards containing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
The stated intent of these bills is to reduce the state’s already historically-low fraud rates in these programs. However, requiring photos on Lone Star cards is not only expensive and unnecessary, it risks undermining the progress that Texas has made to modernize its benefits eligibility system.