Kansas DCF resists USDA request for release of personal information related to SNAP program participants

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas officials are pushing back against federal officials who are demanding the release of personal information for those participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) said in a press release that it sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 30. The state agency’s letter denies the USDA’s demand for the release of personal details related to SNAP applicants, recipients and members of their households.

“DCF is committed to the security of Kansans’ personal information and maintaining confidentiality consistent with state and federal law,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “This demand for personal information goes beyond the scope of administering the program and puts in jeopardy the privacy of hundreds of thousands of Kansans who depend on SNAP to put food on their tables.”

The DCF reports that requested information includes sensitive personal information for any Kansan who lived in a household that applied for and/or received SNAP benefits from Jan. 1, 2020 through to July 30, 2025. The USDA request asks for social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and names.

The USDA previously issued a letter on July 25 to state agency directors stating they must be compliant with the requirement to send this information to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) by the July 30, 2025 deadline. The USDA is requesting the information to create a federal database of SNAP participant information that can be disclosed to other federal, state and local agencies, according to the DCF.

Federal and state law requires the DCF to protect personal SNAP information except under certain, strict, circumstances when it is necessary for the administration of the SNAP program. The DCF said it will monitor pending litigation on this issue and continue to administer and enforce SNAP in accordance with both state and federal law. You can read through the full DCF letter issued on July 30 below:

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