Rep. Brewer Calls for Review of EBT Replacement Delays and Procedures for Access to Personal Property in Towed and Repossessed Vehicles

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Darnell T. Brewer (D-Cleveland) today announced that he will seek additional information on how long Ohioans wait to receive replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and examine Ohio's laws governing access to essential personal property left inside vehicles that have been towed or repossessed.

The inquiry follows a recent incident in Cuyahoga County in which an individual reportedly attempted to retrieve an EBT card from a vehicle parked in a private lot. The situation escalated, prompting law enforcement involvement and criminal charges.

Rep. Brewer is not weighing in on the guilt or innocence of anyone involved in the pending matter. Instead, he believes the circumstances, and the public conversation that followed, raise legitimate questions about whether some incidents can be prevented before they escalate.

“Sometimes public policy begins by listening,” said Rep. Brewer. “As I read through comments about this incident, I noticed people sharing frustrations about requesting replacement EBT cards and waiting for them to arrive, even as they still had children and families who needed to eat. Social media comments aren't evidence of a statewide failure, but when people repeatedly raise the same concern, it is worth asking questions and reviewing the data.”

Ohio generally requires that EBT cards reported lost, stolen, or damaged be replaced within two business days, and state rules provide that replacement cards be mailed within that time frame. Rep. Brewer wants to determine how long families actually wait before a replacement card is in their hands and their benefits are accessible.

“Processing or mailing a card within two business days is different from a family actually receiving it within two days,” Rep. Brewer added. “If it takes three, five, seven days, or longer, I want to know. With families already struggling with the rising cost of groceries, a parent shouldn't have benefits available yet be unable to feed their family simply because they are waiting for a replacement card.”

Rep. Brewer plans to request information from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on actual replacement and delivery times, available emergency replacement options, and whether same-day, temporary, expedited, or secure digital alternatives could reduce delays.

Another issue highlighted by the incident is how people retrieve essential personal belongings from vehicles that have been towed, impounded, or repossessed. Ohio law already provides certain protections for retrieving personal property from vehicles in some towing situations. Rep. Brewer wants to examine whether Ohio's laws provide sufficiently clear and timely protections across different towing and repossession situations, particularly for essential items such as EBT cards, medication, identification, wallets, children's necessities, and work-related property.

“There is a difference between losing possession of a vehicle and losing access to much-needed property inside it,” continued Rep. Brewer. “Whatever the financial or legal dispute over the automobile, there should be a clear, safe and reasonable process for retrieving medicine, identification, a benefit card or other essential belongings.”

Rep. Brewer’s review will consider whether Ohio needs clearer standards for requesting property, reasonable timeframes for companies to provide access, and emergency procedures and safeguards for both consumers and employees.

“This isn't about excusing criminal conduct. When something escalates to the point that police are called and someone enters the criminal justice system, we should still ask whether there was an opportunity to prevent it from getting there,” concluded Rep. Brewer. “Accountability and prevention can coexist. We can hold people responsible for their actions while examining the root causes and the systems surrounding those actions. Sometimes one incident — and the voices of those responding to it — can show us where public policy deserves another look.”