Pennsylvania won’t share SNAP data with Trump Administration – for now
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More than two million Pennsylvanians receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
This story was originally published by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Pennsylvania won’t share food stamp recipient data with the federal government – at least for now – citing data security concerns and risking hundreds of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aid for more than two million state residents.
The state Department of Human Services, which administers SNAP, released a letter to Gina Brand – senior policy advisor for integrity at the United States Department of Agriculture food, nutrition and consumer services – to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star late Wednesday and declined further comment.
“We are working with our internal teams to understand what would be required to move forward in a way that ensures appropriate safeguards for the individuals we serve,” wrote Hoa Pham, Deputy Secretary of Income Maintenance for Pa. DHS. “We remain committed to complying with all applicable federal and state requirements and to maintaining an open dialogue.”
Wednesday was the deadline for states to register an account and start sharing information about SNAP recipients.
The information sought would include names, addresses, social security numbers, occupation and education information, as well as citizenship, immigration and marital status, according to USDA documents.
The federal agency has described the initiative as a fraud mitigation effort that could give law enforcement agencies access to the database, stoking concerns that it could be used for other purposes.
Brand has said states that don’t comply could lose SNAP funding.
Currently, that’s more than $365 million per month in Pennsylvania.
Pham also cited other states’ recent litigation over the request, in addition to concerns about “privacy, data security, and operational feasibility of the request” outlined recently by the American Public Human Services Association. The association, which posted the letter to USDA detailing those concerns to its website, didn’t respond to an email seeking further comment.
Pennsylvania isn’t among the 21 states with attorneys general who’ve signed onto a lawsuit – which also includes Washington, D.C. – seeking to block the directive.
Brett Hambright, spokesperson for state Attorney General Dave Sunday, said in an email that the office “will not micromanage the federal government.”
“Attorney General Sunday is focused on leading a 1,200-person office to preserve public safety, aid consumers, and defend the laws of Pennsylvania,” Hambright wrote.
An addendum to USDA’s original request May 6 says data-sharing has been paused; however, subsequent notices restate the deadline of July 30.
Federal officials also have mentioned coordinating directly with states’ contractors.
Representatives for Conduent, Pennsylvania’s contractor for managing electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards, declined comment.
Conduent is a contractor in at least 11 other states. Some of its clients – Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey – have joined lawsuits over the USDA directive.
Citing pending litigation, UFSDA deferred to the Department of Justice and declined to provide a list of states that met the deadline and information about how the agency plans to respond.
DOJ declined to comment.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.