TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 30, 2025

Tennessee is prepared to provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture with personal data on low-income recipients of federal food stamp aid according to a spokesperson with the state Department of Human Services. Tennessee Lookout reports that the Trump administration made the 50-state data request in May, seeking the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and total dollar value of benefits received for each individual enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the past five years. As of April, 687,000 Tennesseans received the benefit, which provides a monthly cash allotment loaded onto a debit card to be used for food purchases only. The federal request, along with work by the Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending, stems from a presidential executive order. Advocacy groups filed a lawsuit May 22 challenging the administration’s authority to demand the data. Some states have refused to comply, while others have signaled they will provide the information.