The proposed bill would amend current statutes related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by introducing new requirements for the Department of Economic Security (DES) to enhance eligibility evaluations and fraud detection. Key updates include the establishment of a data matching agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue to identify households with lottery or gambling winnings of $3,000 or more, and the requirement for DES to treat this data as verified upon receipt, as permissible under federal law. Additionally, the bill mandates that DES conduct monthly and quarterly reviews of information from various state departments to identify changes in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility, including changes in residency, employment status, and income.

Furthermore, the bill requires DES to utilize electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card data to identify individuals making out-of-state purchases and to contact them to verify their residency. If an individual is found not to reside in Arizona, DES must remove them from the program and refer the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The bill also stipulates that DES must publicly post aggregated data related to noncompliance and fraud investigations on its website, ensuring transparency while protecting confidential information. Overall, these updates aim to strengthen the integrity of the SNAP program and ensure that benefits are provided only to eligible recipients.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 46-232, 46-297.01