The proposed bill would update current statutes related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Arizona by introducing new requirements for the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to enhance eligibility verification processes. Specifically, it mandates DES to enter into data matching agreements with the Arizona Department of Revenue to identify households with significant lottery or gambling winnings, and to regularly review information from the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Department of Corrections for changes in circumstances affecting eligibility. Additionally, the bill requires monthly and quarterly reviews of data related to income, employment, and residency changes and the posting of aggregated data on SNAP fraud investigations on the department's public website. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that DES must review federal sources of information to assess ongoing eligibility for SNAP and outlines procedures for contacting individuals who make purchases exclusively out-of-state. If an individual is found to reside out of state, the department is required to remove them from the program and refer the case to the appropriate U.S. attorney's office. Overall, these updates aim to strengthen the integrity and efficiency of the SNAP program by implementing stricter monitoring and verification processes, ensuring that benefits are allocated appropriately to eligible recipients.

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