In this chapter:

1. (1) “Authorized buyer” means an individual designated by a FoodShare group to have access to the FoodShare account as a secondary cardholder on behalf of the group.
2. (2) “Card issuer” means the entity designated by the department to issue EBT cards and maintain the card issuance data base.
3. (3) “Coupon” means any coupon, stamp, type of certificate, authorization card, cash or check issued in lieu of a coupon, or access device, including an electronic benefit transfer card or personal identification number issued pursuant to the provisions of the FoodShare program for the purchase of eligible food.
4. (4) “Department” means the department of health services.
5. (5) “EBT” or “electronic benefit transfer” means an electronic system that allows a recipient on-line access to their FoodShare benefits through the use of a POS device at an FNS-authorized retailer, thereby authorizing the electronic payment of federal funds to the retailer to settle the approved purchase of eligible food items.
6. (6) “EBT account” means an account established by the department or its EBT vendor on behalf of the FoodShare group.
7. (7) “EBT vendor” means the entity that is, or is teamed with, a financial institution or fiscal intermediary that the department has contracted with to provide EBT services.
8. (8) “Economic support agency” or “ES agency” means a county department of social services or human services, a W-2 agency or a tribal agency which administers economic support programs, including FoodShare.
9. (9) “FNS” means the food and nutrition service, a subdivision of the United States department of agriculture that has administrative responsibility for the FoodShare program.
10. (10) “FoodShare” means Wisconsin’s SNAP benefits program established under s. 49.797, Stats.
11. (11) “FoodShare group” means those persons whose financial eligibility for FoodShare is determined together.
12. (12) “FoodShare payee” means an individual designated by a responsible member of the food stamp group to receive an EBT card and have access to the food stamp account on behalf of the food stamp group.
13. (14) “Group living arrangement” has the meaning given in 7 CFR 271.2 and is a public or private nonprofit residential setting that serves no more than 16 residents and is certified by a regulating state or local agency.

14. (15) “IPV” or “intentional program violation” means intentionally doing either of the following with respect to an application for, or receipt of, FoodShare benefits:

    1. (a) Making a false or misleading statement, or misrepresents, conceals, or withholds facts.
    2. (b) Committing any act that constitutes a violation of SNAP laws and regulations or any state statute relating to the use, presentation, transfer, acquisition, receipt, possession or trafficking of FoodShare benefits or EBT cards.
15. (16) “Manual transaction” means a purchase of eligible food items at an FNS authorized retailer that does not use a POS device.
16. (17) “On-line” means immediate access, via the EBT card, to benefit information stored in a central computer database for the purpose of authorizing electronic FoodShare transactions at the point of sale.
17. (18) “PAN” or “primary account number” is the number on the EBT card that is linked to the FoodShare account established on behalf of the FoodShare group.
18. (19) “PIN” or “personal identification number” means a secret number assigned to the cardholder for use in conjunction with the EBT card to access benefits in a secure manner.
19. (20) “Primary person” means the person whose name is listed first on the application form as the person applying for FoodShare for his or her household.
20. (21) “POS” or “point of sale” means the place in a retail food store where consumers pay for goods and services.
21. (22) “POS terminal” means an electronic hardware device used at the point of sale which is connected to the computer system of a third party processor or the EBT vendor and is designed to record, forward and obtain approval for electronic transactions.
22. (23) “Retail food store” has the meaning given in 7 CFR 271.2.
23. (24) “Settlement” means the exchange of information that produces the transfer of funds from one entity to another, completing a financial transaction.
24. (24m) “SNAP” means the supplemental nutrition and assistance program established under 7 USC 2011 to 2036d and governed by the United States department of agriculture under 7 CFR 271 to 292.
25. (25) “Supermarket” means a type of business having annual gross sales of $2 million or more.
26. (26) “Third party processor” has the meaning given in 7 CFR 274.12 (i) (5).

History

History: Cr. Register, August, 1999, No. 524, eff. 9-1-99; CR 04-040: am. (3) and (15) Register November 2004 No. 587, eff. 12-1-04; correction in (4) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637; CR 25-055:am. (1), (3), (5), (6), (8), (9), r. and recr. (10), am. (11), (12), r. (13), renum. (15) to (15) (intro.) and am., cr. (15) (a), (b), am. (17), (18), (20), cr. (24m) Register February 2026 No. 842, eff. 3-1-26; correction in (10) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register February 2026 No. 842.