Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Republican, introduced a bill Wednesday that would make states submit fraud data in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Under the SNAP Fraud Reporting Act, states would submit such data to the Department of Agriculture, which would compile a national report on scams for Congress.
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have legally resisted the Trump administration’s efforts to collect personally identifiable information of SNAP recipients. USDA requested records, including names, Social Security numbers and addresses, to combat fraud, but states filed lawsuits citing privacy concerns and fears the data could be used for immigration enforcement.
While 28 states and Guam complied and turned over the records, the states that stonewalled the administration secured a preliminary injunction from a federal judge.
Last November, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released initial data from cooperating states showing that roughly 700,000 cases of suspected SNAP fraud and misuse have been identified, with 200,000 instances linked to deceased individuals’ Social Security numbers.
This legislation would require states to report on the SNAP fraud cases identified and open for investigation, plus the dollar amount of those cases. It also requires disclosing the number and type of enforcement actions taken against SNAP fraud and the amount of recoveries.
“We cannot tolerate fraud because it steals from the Americans who need these programs the most,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “As elected officials, we have a responsibility to taxpayers to make sure every dollar is spent wisely, fairly, and in compliance with federal law.”
Rep. Dave Taylor, who introduced the bill in the House, said this ensures that “USDA has the tools to hold states accountable for the proper use of taxpayer dollars.”
“Hardworking American families deserve access to the benefits they’ve earned during times of need, not having them siphoned away by fraudsters chasing a quick payday,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement. “With the fraud we’ve seen running rampant across federal programs, there’s never been a more critical time for accountability.”
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