Congressman Taylor Leads Colleagues in Bill to Uncover SNAP Fraud

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) today led his colleagues in introducing the SNAP Fraud Reporting Act, which would require states to submit data on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud that occurred in the past five fiscal years to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and require each state to provide SNAP fraud data going forward. This bill will protect American taxpayers’ benefits, uncover the fraudulent distribution of SNAP funds to ineligible recipients, and enhance transparency and oversight of SNAP funds between states and the federal government.

Representatives Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Barry Moore (AL-01), Nancy Mace (SC-01), Tony Wied (WI-08), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Mark Harris (NC-08), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), William Timmons (SC-04), Russell Fry (SC-07), and Tom Barrett (MI-07) joined Congressman Taylor as cosponsors of this legislation.

“Hardworking Ohio families deserve to access the benefits they’ve earned during times of need, not have them siphoned away by fraudsters using deceased individuals’ social security numbers,” said Congressman Taylor. “Under the Biden Administration, SNAP was riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse, and it’s time to put an end to the chaos. I’m proud to push for full transparency to protect these benefits for the vulnerable Buckeyes who need them most, and equip the USDA to hold states accountable to do the same.” 

“Americans deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are not being wasted on fraud and abuse,” said Congressman Moore. “I want to thank Congressman Dave Taylor for his leadership on the SNAP Fraud Reporting Act, which brings long-overdue transparency and accountability to a system that has too often been exploited. By requiring states to report real data, we can expose the true scope of fraud, hold bad actors accountable, and ensure taxpayer dollars are protected.”

"Americans deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent and when they are being stolen. For too long, states ignored SNAP fraud and left taxpayers footing the bill,” said Congresswoman Mace. “This legislation enforces real accountability by requiring states to report all SNAP fraud data to USDA, which reports directly to Congress. States refusing to comply risk losing their administrative funding. No more excuses. This is about transparency, protecting taxpayers, and making sure benefits go to Americans who truly need them, not criminals gaming the system."

“The American people deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are being used efficiently,” said Representative Wied. “Unfortunately, in more than twenty states, including my home state of Wisconsin, governors like Tony Evers have chosen to shield SNAP data from the public. The SNAP Fraud Reporting Act is a straightforward, commonsense bill that would require states to report SNAP fraud data so we can crack down on this abuse and take action to prevent it in the future.”

“Taxpayers deserve straight answers. SNAP has been run for years with too little oversight and too much fraud—and the people who actually need help are the ones paying the price. The SNAP Fraud Reporting Act forces states to come clean. No more hiding data, no more excuses. If you’re taking federal dollars, you owe the public transparency. This bill brings accountability back to the program and helps ensure benefits go to the right people—not fraudsters,” stated Congressman Paul Gosar.

“SNAP fraud undermines the integrity of a program meant to help those truly in need,” said Representative Timmons. “States must be transparent and accountable with taxpayer dollars. The SNAP Fraud Reporting Act ensures we finally get the full picture so we can stop abuse and strengthen the program for those who rely on it.”

“The SNAP program was created to help vulnerable communities get back on their feet during hard times,” said Representative Fry. “The government should steward the generosity of taxpayers responsibly while ensuring our neighbors don’t go hungry. Every instance of fraud and overpayment in SNAP is money taken away from vulnerable Americans who depend on the program to meet their nutritional needs. Our bill holds states accountable, cracks down on the abuse of taxpayer dollars, and ensures SNAP serves those it was intended to help.”

SNAP is one of the largest programs fully funded by the federal government, yet it is administered at the state or county level. Because of this dynamic, states have had wide decision-making power with little accountability over the distribution of SNAP funds. 

In February of 2025, USDA Secretary Rollins directed states to share SNAP data, yet nearly one year later, 21 states have failed to disclose this information. In November of last year, Secretary Rollins shared initial data from 29 states showing that 200,000 people with deceased individuals’ social security numbers were receiving SNAP benefits. Until every state produces a report on the distribution of its SNAP funds, it will be unclear to what degree taxpayer benefits have been lost to fraud.

Specifically, the SNAP Fraud Reporting Act would require states to submit data on SNAP fraud that has occurred over the past five fiscal years to USDA within 180 days of enactment. This data will outline several items of fraud, including:

• Total number of fraud cases and the total dollar amount;
• Number of fraud cases opened for investigation;
• Number of types of enforcement taken against SNAP fraud;
• All data on the number of disqualified people who were found to be deceased who received SNAP in each fiscal year;
• All data on the number of people who used no social security number or falsified, recycled, stolen, or purchased social security numbers;
• All data on the number of aliens ineligible for SNAP who received benefits.

USDA would be required to compile this data and report it to Congress within 180 days. This report would then be required for each fiscal year going forward for states and USDA. If a state refuses to give this information, USDA would be authorized to withhold SNAP administrative funds.

The full bill text for the SNAP Fraud Reporting Act is available here.