SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act of 2025
Summary
The SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act of 2025 aims to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. It mandates that states provide recipient-level data to the Secretary of Agriculture upon request. This data is intended for the administration, oversight, integrity, and enforcement of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Expected Effects
The Act will increase federal oversight of SNAP by granting the Secretary of Agriculture access to detailed recipient data. States that fail to comply with data requests could face withholding or suspension of federal administrative funds. The collected data will be subject to federal privacy and security laws and may be shared with law enforcement agencies.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced program integrity through better data oversight.
- Improved ability to detect and prevent fraud within SNAP.
- More efficient administration of SNAP at the federal level.
- Potential for data-driven policy improvements and resource allocation.
- Increased accountability of state agencies in managing SNAP.
Most Benefited Areas:
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased administrative burden on state agencies to provide data.
- Potential privacy concerns related to recipient data, despite safeguards.
- Risk of federal overreach into state-administered programs.
- Possible delays in SNAP benefits due to data request compliance.
- Potential for misuse of data by federal agencies.
Most Disadvantaged Areas:
Constitutional Alignment
The Act's constitutional alignment is rooted in Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce and provide for the general welfare (Article I, Section 8). The requirement for states to provide data as a condition of receiving federal funds aligns with the Necessary and Proper Clause. However, the potential for federal overreach into state administration could raise concerns about federalism and the Tenth Amendment, which reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).