EBT replaces government-issued checks and vouchers with an electronic payment card.

The new council, to be managed by EFTA, will be called the eGovernment Payments Council. It was formed through the merger of EFTA's EBT Council and NACHA's Electronic Benefits and Services Council. Its members include financial institutions, state payment and social services agencies, transaction processors, technology companies and manufacturers.

"This merger and the resulting new council will provide a single, unified voice that will educate and advocate the increased use of electronic payment technologies for government benefits on behalf of its members, and will continue to provide a forum where states can address issues surrounding the operation of EBT systems," said H. Kurt Helwig, president and CEO of EFTA.

"NACHA is very supportive of the formation of this new council," said Janet O. Estep, president and CEO of NACHA. "By merging the two premier councils into one, members will be part of a consolidated organization that focuses exclusively on electronic government payments which continue to evolve."

The mission of the council will be to act as the single U.S. organization representing the EBT community, to provide a platform for promulgating EBT rules and regulations and to develop a cohesive strategy for fostering business and policy decisions that aid in the proliferation of EBT systems and technology.

The immediate focus of the council will be to work with the new Congress and with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service on cost models for the conversion of the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program to EBT technology.

In support of the new council, NACHA, with input from the council members, will continue to administer the Quest Operating Rules, which foster nation-wide benefit portability and system interoperability for government benefits.