Millions of low-income Americans who rely on food assistance could see their personal information shared across federal agencies under a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), prompting strong opposition from Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and a coalition of 13 other states. According to a press release from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the proposed data-sharing policy could jeopardize the privacy of families enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with no clear connection to improving program integrity.
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The USDA proposal, outlined in a June 2025 notice, seeks to create a new federal database of SNAP recipients’ personal information and distribute that data to various government entities. Citing a directive stemming from an executive order by President Donald Trump, the agency claims the initiative will help detect improper payments. However, the attorneys general argue that this approach bypasses established legal limits and state-level privacy protections, allowing federal agencies—potentially including the Department of Homeland Security—to access information not meant for such use.
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Currently, SNAP data collected by states is safeguarded by laws restricting its use to administering the program. Existing state and federal oversight mechanisms have already kept fraud rates low without the need to compile vast databases of sensitive personal data. Critics warn that the USDA’s plan disregards these established practices and opens the door to misuse, including for purposes unrelated to SNAP, such as immigration enforcement.
In their formal comments, the attorneys general referenced the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Privacy Act as further legal barriers to the proposal. They emphasized that USDA’s existing rules restrict use of SNAP data to core program functions. The coalition also noted that states already verify participant eligibility through separate quality control systems and that the new policy introduces unnecessary risks and administrative burdens.
Maryland joins California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington in opposing the proposal.
Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General
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