Assigned to RAGE FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1071
SNAP; TANF; public welfare; verification
Purpose
Establishes evaluation requirements for the Department of Economic Security (DES) to
confirm eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Background
SNAP is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families to
supplement their grocery budget and help the family afford nutritious food. To be eligible for
SNAP benefits, an applicant must meet specific age, household, employment and income
requirements. Arizona's SNAP program is administered by DES and is known as the Arizona
Nutrition Assistance Program (DES).
To qualify for SNAP, the countable resources for a household may not exceed $3,000, such
as cash or money in a bank account, or $4,500 if at least one member of the household is 60 years
old or older, or is disabled. Certain resources like a home or social security income are not counted
in determining resources. A one-person household must earn no more than $19,584 in annual gross
income. This threshold increases by $6,996 for each additional person in the household (USDA).
General work requirements to qualify for SNAP, for applicants between 16 and 59 years
old, include: 1) registering for work; 2) participating in SNAP Employment and Training or
workfare, if assigned by DES; 3) accepting a suitable job if offered; and 4) not voluntarily quitting
a job or reducing work hours below 30 hours a week without a good reason. To be exempted from
these requirements, an applicant must be: 1) already working at least 30 hours a week or earning
wages at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours; 2) meeting work
requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or the unemployment
compensation program; 3) taking care of a child under six years old or an incapacitated person;
4) unable to work due to a physical or mental limitation; 5) participating regularly in an alcohol or
drug treatment program; or 6) studying in a school or training program at least part-time. An
applicant between 18 and 52 years old that can work and has no dependents may need to meet the
additional able-bodied adult without dependents work requirement in addition to the general work
requirements (USDA).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
FACT SHEET
S.B. 1071
Page 2
Provisions
SNAP Eligibility Evaluations
1. Requires DES, in order to determine or evaluate SNAP eligibility, to:
a) enter into a data matching agreement with the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) to
identify households with lottery or gambling winnings of $3,000 or more; and
b) treat the data obtained as verified on receipt, as permissible under federal law.
2. Requires DES, to the extent that the ADG data is not verified on receipt, to 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 the ADG for further
investigation.
3. Requires DES, on at least a monthly basis, to review information that identifies individuals
who have had a change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility as provided by:
a) the Department of Health Services (DHS); and
b) the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
4. Requires DES, on at least a monthly basis, 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 electronic benefit transfer
(EBT) card transactions.
5. Requires DES, on at least a quarterly basis, to review information that identifies changes in
circumstances for individuals or households that may affect SNAP eligibility as provided by:
a) the Industrial Commission of Arizona, including an individual’s change in unemployment
benefits, employment status or wages; and
b) the Arizona Department of Revenue, including potential changes in income, wages or
residency as identified by tax records.
6. Requires DES, on at least a quarterly basis and excluding confidential and personally
identifiable information, to post on its public website the following aggregate amounts that
were obtained from noncompliance and fraud investigations related to SNAP:
a) the number of SNAP cases that were investigated for international program 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 the EBT card that occurred outside of Arizona, categorized
by state. FACT SHEET
S.B. 1071
Page 3
7. Requires DHS and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to review the following
information from federal sources to assess a recipient’s continued eligibility for SNAP:
a) earned income information, death registration information, incarceration records,
supplemental security income information, beneficiary records, earnings information and
pension information that is maintained by the U.S. Social Security Administration;
b) income and employment information that is maintained in 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 Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
8. Requires DES to review an individual's case if it receives information that identifies an
individual who is enrolled in SNAP and indicates a change in circumstances that may affect
that individual's SNAP eligibility.
EBT Transactions
9. Requires DES to use the EBT card to identify any individual who has made a purchase
exclusively out-of-state over a 90-day period.
10. Requires DES to contact the identified individual within 30 days to determine whether that
individual resides in Arizona.
11. Requires DES to remove the individual within 30 days after contact if the individual does not
reside in Arizona.
12. Requires DES to refer the individual to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the district where the
individual claims to reside within 15 days after the removal.
Miscellaneous
13. Defines terms.
14. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 17, 2025
JT/ci