(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Third District Congressman Zach Nunn wants to re-establish a program that expired in December to reimburse people when their federal food assistance funds are stolen. Nunn says Iowa is one of the states still using SNAP cards with magnetic strips that are vulnerable to theft compared to cards with chips.  “So, what our bill intends to do is until those states make that upgrade is make sure those that are defrauded get an immediate reimbursement,” Nunn says.

Nunn says states need to upgrade to the chip cards to protect people. )”It’s not the victim’s fault that the enforcement mechanism hasn’t caught up or that the protection from the states isn’t there yet,” he says. Nunn met with David Schroeder at his home in Des Moines to discuss the proposal. Schroeder is a 65-year-old army veteran who had his 64-dollars in monthly benefits was stolen and used in New Jersey.

“I’ve been getting the same thing every year for 20 years. Never had no problem whatsoever. Why now? Have no idea. Like I said before, I sure hope the person in New Jersey needs them more than I do,” Schroeder says.

Iowans made more than 11-hundred approved claims for stolen SNAP benefits in one fiscal year when the benefit was in place. Those claims added up to more than 640-thousand dollars.