Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Snap Data Sharing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kansas committee hears bill to require state to share SNAP recipient data with USDA
Summary
A Kansas Senate committee heard testimony on SB 428, which would require state welfare agencies to comply with written USDA data requests for SNAP recipients. Attorney General Chris Kobach and a national policy witness said refusal to share data has cost Kansas tens of millions; opponents filed written testimony.
At a Kansas Senate committee hearing, proponents urged passage of Senate Bill 428, saying it would require the secretary for children and families — and the secretary of health and environment — to comply with written data requests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and execute data‑sharing agreements within 30 days.
Attorney General Chris Kobach told the committee that existing Kansas law urging cooperation with federal SNAP administration is too vague and that SB 428 provides explicit language to require state compliance. "We need to make sure the governor complies," Kobach said, arguing the bill removes potential legal wiggle room. He cited federal error‑rate figures and state penalties, saying Kansas' error rate rose from about 4.8% in 2018 to roughly 11.3% in 2023 and was near 10% in 2024, and that the state has already lost $20.8 million in administrative penalties tied to noncompliance. "At some point the SNAP program in Kansas is going to be $20,000,000 short," Kobach said.
Travis Couture Lovelady of FGA Action, testifying remotely, supported the bill as an integrity measure, saying data sharing is an effective tool to identify fraud and help preserve benefits for needy families. Lovelady cited national estimates of improper SNAP payments and said 29 states have complied with USDA data requests.
Committee members asked about the administrative appeals process and whether the state's appeal to USDA might be resolved administratively; Kobach said the appeal is primarily written, USDA has a roughly 60‑day window to respond, and the governor would thereafter have a limited period to seek federal court review.
Proponents warned of continuing quarterly administrative penalties of roughly $10.4 million if the state does not comply, and of longer‑term liability tied to error‑rate‑based state cost sharing. The committee noted neutral written testimony from agency counsel at the Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and opponent written testimony from advocacy groups; no roll‑call votes were taken on SB 428 during this hearing and the chair closed the hearing and moved on to other business.
The bill's supporters asked the reviser to incorporate tightened language; Kobach offered to supply suggested edits to the reviser.
