Electronic benefits transfer system.

Existing law provides for the establishment of a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, including benefits provided under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , administered in California as CalFresh. Existing law authorizes a recipient who uses an EBT card to be charged a fee, not to exceed the amount allowed by applicable state and federal law and customarily charged to other customers, for cash withdrawal transactions that exceed four per month, except for CalFresh transactions. This bill would also except from those fees, cash withdrawals from an automated teller machine (ATM) . Existing law requires the EBT system to be designed so that, among other things, consumers are informed on how to use EBT cards, how to protect their cards from misuse, and where consumers can use their cards to withdraw benefits without incurring a fee, charge, or surcharge. This bill would also require the EBT system to be designed to inform consumers how to avoid a fee while shopping at a grocery retailer and that consumers can use their EBT cards to withdraw cash from any ATM that accepts EBT cards without incurring a fee, charge, or surcharge. The bill would make conforming changes.