Photo IDs for SNAP Shoppers?

SNAP beneficiaries will be carrying photo ID EBT cards if a bill introduced last week in the Senate ever sees the light of day.

The bill, introduced by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), would require the issuance of photo IDs to all participants in the SNAP program.

In a press release, Vitter stated that the bill’s goal is “to restore some accountability to the program so it’s not ruined for people who use it appropriately.”

According to a press release issued by Vitter’s office, a system outage last fall that led some beneficiaries to purchase huge quantities of merchandise in dollar amounts clearly beyond their SNAP spending limits was a motivating factor for the bill. Reports at the time included some people simply walking out of stores with full carts during the confusion.

“My bill will restore some accountability to the program so it's not ruined for people who use it appropriately,” stated Vitter in the release.

A requirement to provide photo ID would verify that a person is the legal beneficiary of the EBT card, according to the bill.

Anyone caught attempting to illegally use another recipient's EBT card would be banned from the program.

Vitter recently announced his candidacy for Louisiana governor in 2015.