20 States Sue USDA Over SNAP Data Collection Attempts
A coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Monday against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over what they claim are unlawful attempts to collect the personal data of millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from the states. Led by the attorneys general of California and New York, the suit -- filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California -- argues the federal demand for state data violates the U.S. Constitution and multiple federal privacy laws.
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“President Trump continues to weaponize private and sensitive personal information -- not to root out fraud, but to create a culture of fear where people are unwilling to apply for essential services,” said California AG Rob Bonta (D) in a news release. SNAP is federally funded, though states administer it. The USDA has intimated it could withhold SNAP funding if states fail to submit data.
Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state and Wisconsin signed on in addition to California, New York and Washington, D.C.
“For many families, SNAP is the difference between having groceries on the table and going without,” said Oregon AG Dan Rayfield (D). “Forcing states to hand over years of sensitive personal information puts those same families at risk. Oregonians shouldn’t have to give up their privacy to put food on the table.”
The suit follows a July 18 letter from Bonta, who was leading a smaller coalition of states, that called the demand for data unnecessary, inefficient and unlawful (see 2507210036).
The USDA had suspended its data demand after a lawsuit from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and others, but published a System of Records Notice (SORN) on June 23 in an attempt to resolve legal issues and resume the data collection (see 2507180027).
In May, EPIC led a coalition of stakeholders in a lawsuit and temporary restraining order to block the data collection. In the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the coalition argued that collecting data violated numerous federal laws, including the Privacy Act or E-Government Act, which provides safeguards for personal data (see 2505280019).