Michigan joins over 20 states in suing USDA over access to SNAP food stamp recipient records
A total of 22 states have signed onto the suit, which was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"USDA's actions are unprecedented, threaten the privacy of millions of families, and ignore long-standing restrictions on the use and redisclosure of SNAP data," said the statement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, is the modern version of what was once called food stamps. The program is meant for lower-income people who complete an application and meet a series of eligibility requirements. While the SNAP program is federally funded, it has long been administered by the states, and the records of recipients are generally handled at that level.
Michigan currently directs about $254 million in SNAP benefits a month through the Michigan Bridge Card network.
Eligible recipients can use their individual or household allocations via the electronic benefits card toward purchasing food at most supermarkets and other participating retailers. Fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products can be purchased with SNAP benefits. Paper products and cleaning supplies are among the ineligible grocery items.
In May, the USDA issued a notice that it will require states and territories to share records of SNAP benefits and allotments with the federal government.
While those instructions are on hold, according to the USDA, they do ask for personally identifiable information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other records about applicants and recipients.
The USA is also seeking information "sufficient to calculate the total dollar value" of SNAP benefits that participants received on and after Jan. 1, 2020.
"For years, this program has been on autopilot, with no USDA insight into real-time data. The Department is focused on appropriate and lawful participation in SNAP, and today's request is one of many steps to ensure SNAP is preserved for only those eligible," USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in her announcement.
The lawsuit said the federal government has never previously asked for such detailed records on SNAP recipients. Quality control checks normally ask for sample data, and both inspections and audits would seek a limited range of information specifically allowed by law.
"SNAP applicants provide their private information on the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes," Nessel's office said. "USDA's actions are unprecedented, threaten the privacy of millions of families, and ignore long-standing restrictions on the use and redisclosure of SNAP data."
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