Gov. Scott: Facts matter – Vt. complies with federal law requiring SNAP info. sharing
Submitted by the office of Gov. Phil Scott | August 8, 2025Editor’s Note: Gov. Phil Scott’s office issued the following statement on Aug. 5 regarding the decision to share data about Vermont SNAP program participants with the federal government.
Last month, the federal government notified states that they would be requiring states to provide specific information about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as SNAP) participants to validate eligibility determinations and ensure program integrity.
Although the federal government’s approach has been unnecessarily political, the bottom line is, this is a federal benefit. The federal government is legally entitled to this information and has been for much of the last decade.
Here are the facts:
All information provided to the federal government is information states are required to provide in accordance with the USDA’s notice in the Federal Register published June 23, 2025, pursuant to the federal Privacy Act of 1974.
A law was also passed through a bipartisan effort in Congress in 2018, with unanimous support from Vermont’s congressional delegation, clarifying the government’s right to this information.
There is no conflict with state law, and simply objecting to this request for the sake of political resistance could put the SNAP benefits of thousands of Vermont’s most vulnerable at risk.
As the governor has said, we cannot live in chaos for the next three and a half years. Vermont will continue to evaluate all requests and actions by the federal administration based on reality – not rhetoric.
When there is clear evidence of harm to Vermonters, the Scott Administration will continue to push back against such decisions and requests. Despite all the political drama on this issue, this is not one of those moments.
Again, the facts matter. And the facts here are clear: everything we have provided to the federal government is within the limits of long-established law.