Electronic Benefit Transfer Interoperability and Portability Act of 2000
Public Law 106-171 · S. 1733 · 106th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Feb 11, 2000 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Cosponsors (10): Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Richard Lugar,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Electronic Benefit Transfer Interoperability and Portability Act of 1999 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to provide for a national standard of interoperability and portability applicable to electronic food stamp benefit transactions. Requires systems that provide for the electronic issuance, use, and redemption of coupons in the form of electronic benefit transfer cards to be interoperable, and food stamp benefits to be made portable, among all States not later than October 1, 2002. States that such costs shall not be borne by participating wholesale or retail food concerns.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations that: (1) adopt a national standard based upon a standard used by the majority of States; and (2) require any electronic benefit transfer contract (as defined by this Act) entered into 30 days or more after promulgation of such regulations be in accordance with the national standard. Authorizes the Secretary to provide a requesting State with a temporary deadline waiver based upon unusual technological barriers. Directs the Secretary to allow a State using a smart card food stamp delivery system to continue such system until a technological method is available for electronic benefit transfer card interoperability.
Sets forth the conditions for full Federal payment of State switching costs, including annual fiscal year caps.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of alternatives for handling food stamp benefit electronic transactions, including use of a single switching hub.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Feb 11, 2000Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-171.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 2, 2000PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jan 31, 2000FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Combest moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jan 28, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 19, 1999FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Oct 14, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.