Vermont Complies with Federal Demand for SNAP Recipient Data Amid Multi-State Legal Challenges

The Vermont Agency of Human Services recently complied with a federal request from the Trump administration by providing personal information, including names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and SNAP benefit data, of over 64,000 Vermonters receiving food assistance. This compliance was based on a USDA directive following President Trump's executive order aimed at eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federally funded programs, with a deadline of July 30 for states to submit such data. Vermont's Republican Governor Phil Scott's administration defended the decision as legally required under federal law and the 2018 Farm Bill, despite criticism from Democratic and Progressive leaders, including Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak, who expressed concerns about potential persecution and surveillance of vulnerable populations. While twenty other states have sued the Trump administration to block the data collection citing privacy and security violations, Vermont chose not to join the lawsuit. Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark indicated willingness to challenge the order but deferred to the Scott administration's stance, which has so far declined to contest the federal demand. The controversy highlights tensions between federal oversight of assistance programs and state-level commitments to protecting recipients' privacy.