Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announced in an
Aug. 14, 2025, letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the agency is standing behind its decision at this time to not release the personal information of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants, recipients and members of their households. The USDA’s data request is for the purpose of creating a federal database of SNAP participant information that may be disclosed to other entities, and it is unclear whether those entities are legally allowed to access that information.
This comes after an
Aug. 12, 2025, letter to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly from Patrick Penn, USDA deputy undersecretary, stating USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has not received Kansas’ participant data. In its most recent letter, DCF has asked the USDA to withdraw its demand until pending litigation is settled, as this could put DCF in potential liability should a court find the USDA’s demand violates federal law.
“DCF is required by state and federal law to protect personal identifiable SNAP data except when strictly necessary for the administration of the SNAP program – and that’s a responsibility we take seriously,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “We also believe this request places a significant burden on DCF and state resources, and it’s not something that can be accommodated on a short deadline. Providing this magnitude of data could take months and come with a hefty price tag. We want to be sure we’re making the right decisions for Kansans and protecting their most personal information.”
The requested data includes sensitive personal information for more than 730,000 Kansans who lived in a household that applied for and/or received SNAP benefits from Jan. 1, 2020, to July 30, 2025. It includes, but is not limited to, names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses. In addition to personal data of Kansas citizens, the request includes retailer and business data documenting SNAP usage.
Providing this amount of requested data is not as simple as running a system report. The data must be pulled from multiple data sources and validated. Other challenges include:
- The volume of data requested exceeds any prior reporting requests, and DCF’s current avenues of transferring data securely to FNS are not configured to accommodate this volume of data.
- The specific data elements requested at an individual level over a large period of time make this data request unique and will require additional validation.
- The data elements requested leave room for interpretation requiring additional discussion to determine the most accurate and cost-effective methodology to apply.
While the exact cost of providing the requested data is not yet known, DCF anticipates that with the amount of time this request would likely require, it could cost Kansas taxpayers $100,000 or more depending on the frequency to provide the data as requested by the USDA.
DCF will monitor the
pending litigation and continue to administer and enforce SNAP in accordance with federal and state law.
###
The Kansas Department for Children and Families’ (DCF) mission is to protect children, strengthen families, and promote adult self-sufficiency. DCF’s more than 35 service centers across the state offer a wide range of support services, including food, utility, child care assistance, child support services, and employment education and training. DCF also partners with grantees to provide foster care services to children, including case planning, placement, life skills, and foster parent recruitment and training. DCF partners with organizations, communities, and other agencies to support families, children, and vulnerable adults, connecting them with resources, supports, and networks in their home communities.