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Committee passes amended bill directing data matches for SNAP eligibility, removes Social Security Administration requirement
Summary
A Kansas Senate committee passed Senate Bill 85 after amending out a requirement that the Secretary for Children and Families act on Social Security Administration data; the bill requires data-sharing agreements and public quarterly reporting of aggregate SNAP investigations.
A Kansas Senate committee on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 85 as amended, directing the Secretary for Children and Families to enter data-matching agreements with state agencies to verify eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to publish quarterly aggregate findings on noncompliance and fraud investigations.
Reviser David Weese summarized the bill for the committee, saying it directs the secretary to “enter into data matching agreements with state agencies to compare data related to households” for SNAP eligibility and to review certain federal data sets. The bill lists state agencies such as the Department of Labor, Department of Revenue and Department of Corrections and names federal sources the secretary may review, including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The committee adopted an amendment, moved by the chair and seconded by Senator Thompson, that removed the bill requirement to have the Secretary for Children and Families act on Social Security Administration data. The chair explained the amendment addressed concerns about the time and cost of complying with that portion of the bill; the reviser confirmed it would remove the SSA action requirement.
The bill, as amended, still requires the secretary to make public on the DCF website quarterly aggregate, nonconfidential data about investigations and findings, including the number of households investigated for fraud, households referred for prosecution, improper payments and the amount expended on out-of-state electronic benefit transactions.
Senator Holscher voiced opposition on policy grounds, saying the measure would “reverify information that has already been verified” and would add workload and red tape. Other senators did not raise further amendments. The committee passed SB 85 as amended by voice vote.
