by Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout
June 23, 2025

Tennessee is prepared to provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a trove of sensitive personal data on low-income recipients of federal food stamp aid, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Human Services said.

The Trump administration made the 50-state data request on May 6. It seeks the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and total dollar value of benefits received for each individual enrolled in SNAP, or Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program, over the past five years. 

The letter seeking the data of millions of food stamp recipients across the nation said the federal government intends to use the information to “ensure program integrity, including by verifying the eligibility of benefit recipients.”  

SNAP recipient data has historically been kept by state governments and private vendors contracted to process payments.

USDA pauses request for personal data of SNAP recipients while lawsuit proceeds

More than 687,000 Tennesseans – or about one in every ten state residents – received the benefit as of April, according to data posted by the Department of Human Services. SNAP provides a monthly cash benefit loaded onto a debit card to be used for food purchases only. 

The federal government’s request, made in tandem with efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut spending across the federal government, stemmed from an executive order by President Donald Trump to stop waste, abuse and fraud in public spending. 

A lawsuit filed by advocacy groups on May 22 challenged the Trump administration’s authority to demand the data. That litigation remains ongoing.

The Trump administration has since posted a message to states that its request has been temporarily halted until “requisite procedural safeguards have been met” but notes federal officials will be working with state agencies and their payment processors to “prepare for the eventual transfer of the data discussed in the (May 6) letter.”

Some states have outright refused to comply with the request, while others — such as Tennessee — have signaled they will provide recipients’ personal information. 

“Tennessee has received the request and is prepared to comply within the law,” Danielle Cotton, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, said via email. 

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article presents the facts about the Trump administration’s request for SNAP recipient data, highlighting concerns about privacy and ongoing legal challenges. While it provides context about the federal effort to reduce waste and fraud, the emphasis on the sensitivity of personal information and the lawsuit against the administration suggests a critical perspective on government overreach. The balanced tone and inclusion of multiple viewpoints—government justification, state responses, and advocacy group opposition—indicate a center-left bias that is generally sympathetic to privacy and social welfare concerns without overt partisan language.