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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: HHS DP 7-5-0-0 |
HB 2797: SNAP; TANF; public welfare; verification.
Sponsor: Representative Carbone, LD 25
House Engrossed
Overview
Outlines evaluation and verification requirements for the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to confirm eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
History
SNAP is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and help a family afford nutritious food. To be eligible for SNAP benefits, an applicant must meet specific age, household, employment and income requirements (USDA). Arizona's SNAP program is administered by DES and is known as the Arizona Nutrition Assistance (NA) Program (DES).
Nutrition Assistance is administered by DES through the Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility (DBME). The Family Assistance Administration (FAA) office is the operational arm of DBME that is responsible for processing applications, conducting interviews, and verifying household eligibility factors such as income, residency, and citizenship for eligible SNAP recipients. The FAA office implements federal and state policy as outlined in the Nutrition Assistance Policy Manual and A.A.C. Title 6, Chapter 14.
FAA staff collect documentation for SNAP to verify: 1) identity of the applicant; 2) residency in Arizona; 3) citizenship or qualified noncitizen status; 4) household composition; 5) income and resources; 6) utility and shelter expenses; and 7) social security numbers. To be eligible for SNAP benefits, an applicant must meet specific age, household, employment and income requirements. NA recipients must complete a renewal application before an approval period ends to continue receiving benefits. The renewal requirements include the timely completion of all the following: 1) a submitted identifiable application; 2) an interview; and 3) provide requested verification.
To be considered a timely NA renewal, FAA must receive an identifiable application by one of the following: 1) within 15 calendar days from the date the NA benefits are ending notice is sent; or 2) no later than the 15th calendar day of the last month of the current approval period. Additional policies on timely or untimely renewal applications and renewal denials can be found under FAA6.S. Approval periods can vary for SNAP recipients from 12, 24, or 36-months. Policies on the approval periods can be found under FAA6.A.
An electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card transaction means the use of a credit or debit card service, automated teller machine or point-of-sale terminal or access to an online system for the withdrawal of cash assistance provided or for the processing of a payment for merchandise or a service from cash assistance provided (A.R.S. § 46-297).
Provisions
SNAP Eligibility Evaluations
1. Directs DES, to determine or evaluate SNAP eligibility, to:
a. enter into a data matching agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue (DOR) to identify households with lottery or gambling winnings of $3,000 or more;
b. treat the data obtained as verified on receipt, to the extent permissible under federal law; and
c. refer those households with lottery or gambling winnings that are equal to or greater than the resource limit for elderly or disabled households as defined under federal law to DES for further investigation if the DOR data cannot be verified on receipt. (Sec. 1)
3. Requires DES to review its own information to identify individuals who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility, including an individual’s change in unemployment benefits, employment status or wages on a quarterly basis. (Sec. 1)
4. Directs DES to review its own information that identifies individuals who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility, including potential changes in residency as identified by out-of-state EBT card transactions on a monthly basis. (Sec. 1)
5. Instructs DES to review information provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry that identifies individuals who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility on a monthly basis. (Sec. 1)
6. Requires DES to review information provided by DOR that identifies households that have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility, including potential changes in income, wages or residency as identified by tax records. (Sec. 1)
7. Requires DES, on at least a quarterly basis, to post on its own public website the following aggregated amounts that were obtained from noncompliance and fraud investigations related to SNAP, excluding confidential and personally identifiable information:
a. the number of SNAP cases that were investigated for intentional violations or fraud;
b. the number of SNAP cases that were referred to the Attorney General's Office for prosecution;
c. the amount of improper payments and expenditures;
d. the amount of monies recovered;
e. the amount of monies spent for improper payments and ineligible recipients as a percentage of cases that were investigated and reviewed; and
f. the amount of monies spent by EBT card transactions that occurred outside of Arizona, categorized by state. (Sec. 1)
8. Directs DHS and DES, on at least a monthly basis, to review the following information from federal sources to assess a recipient's continued eligibility for SNAP:
a) earned income information, death register information, incarceration records, supplemental security income information, beneficiary records, earnings information and pension information that is maintained by the United States (U.S.) Social Security Administration;
b) income and employment information that is maintained by the National Directory of New Hires database and child support enforcement data that is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
c) payment and earnings information that is maintained by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
d) national fleeing felon information that is maintained by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Sec. 1)
9. Directs DES to review an individual's case that is enrolled in SNAP if DES receives information that indicates a change in circumstances that may affect the individual's SNAP eligibility. (Sec. 1)
EBT Card Transactions
10. Requires DES, on a monthly basis, to use the data from an EBT card to identify any individual who has made purchases exclusively out-of-state over a 90-day period. (Sec. 2)
11. Directs DES to contact the individual who is identified within 30 days to determine whether that individual resides in Arizona. (Sec. 2)
12. Instructs DES to remove the individual within 30 days after contact if the individual does not reside in Arizona. (Sec. 2)
13. Requires DES to refer the individual to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the district of Arizona reside within 15 days after the removal. (Sec. 2)
Miscellaneous
14. Defines terms. (Sec. 1)
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Initials AG HB 2797
1/21/2026 Page 0 House Engrossed
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