Evers vetoes bill to turn over personal information of SNAP recipients
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a law this week that would require the state to turn over personal information related to food assistance recipients to the federal government, citing concerns about data security and the legality of the Trump administration’s request.
Federal authorities are searching the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status and benefit history of SNAP recipients in an effort to root out fraud, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is known as FoodShare in Wisconsin.
In December, Rollins announced that the Trump administration planned to withhold funding from states whose governors had not responded to the agency’s request for data.
Wisconsin is one of more than 20 states with Democratic governors that have sued the federal government over the request.
Republican lawmakers introduced a bill in February that would force Evers’ administration to turn over the data.
The bill would “ensure that our state fully cooperates with the federal government in its efforts to strengthen the accountability and integrity” of SNAP, bill co-author Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, said during testimony on the proposal.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the leading Republican candidate for governor, highlighted the issue in his campaign, urging Evers to comply.
“I oppose this bill in its entirety because I oppose sharing Wisconsinites’ most sensitive personal data, including their Social Security numbers, without the federal government having to meaningfully demonstrate how Wisconsinites’ personal data will be appropriately secured, will not be accessed by large swaths of federal employees, and will not be inappropriately shared within and outside the federal government,” Evers wrote in his post. veto.
Additionally, Evers noted in his veto message that as part of the multistate lawsuit, a federal court had previously blocked enforcement of the Trump administration’s request.
Due to the ongoing litigation, Evers added: “I cannot sign a bill that would require our state to comply with a potentially illegal request. »
Last month, Evers signed a law prohibiting FoodShare recipients from using benefits to buy candy and soda.
The law also provides additional funding and positions requested by the Evers administration to ensure the state is not penalized by new federal requirements implemented under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” last year.
Jessie Opoien can be contacted at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers vetoes bill to release personal information of SNAP recipients.
