Summary
Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108, notice is hereby given that USDA proposes modifying the system of records (SOR) entitled USDA/FNA-15, “National Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Information Database” after considering public comments. This system is owned, administered, and secured by FNA. The system will assist efforts to validate the accuracy of eligibility determinations and strengthen SNAP and government program integrity. The modification clarifies under what circumstances records may be disclosed pursuant to a routine use. It also removes reference to foreign entities.
Request for Comments
Pursuant to 5 USC 552a(e)(4) and (11), this system of records notice will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register, except for the routine uses, which will become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, unless USDA determines they must be changed as a result of public comment. USDA will publish any changes to the system of records notice resulting from public comment.
Interested parties may submit written comments by one of the following methods:
- Preferred: Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
- By email: snapdatabase@usda.gov.
- By mail: FNA, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Instructions: All comment submissions must include the agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received will be posted without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. However, comments containing profanity or inappropriate or abusive content may be rejected or redacted before posting.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to Regulations.gov.
Supplementary Information
Background
Pursuant to, among other authorities, 7 USC 2020(a)(3) and (e)(8)(A) and 7 CFR 272.1(c)(1) and (e), FNA works with all state agencies and their designated vendors and/or contractors to transmit data on SNAP participants and transactions for the purposes listed below. This system is consistent with and effectuates multiple executive orders, including but not limited to Executive Order 14243 of March 20, 2025, Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos and Executive Order 14218 of Feb. 19, 2025, Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.
USDA and FNA use the SNAP data in this system to administer and enforce the SNAP Act, including ensuring the integrity of Government programs by verifying SNAP recipient eligibility against federally maintained databases, identifying and eliminating duplicate enrollments, and performing additional eligibility and program integrity checks specified herein.
The system of records notice explains how the records within the new system will be used and with whom they will be shared.
Purpose of Changes Made to the System
In response to the publication of the notice of a new system of records entitled USDA/FNA-15, “National Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Information Database,” on June 23, 2025 (Document Number 2025-11463, 90 FR 26521), USDA received more than 450 unique comments. Approximately 132 of those comments raised concerns that information maintained in USDA/FNA-15 could be improperly shared with outside entities, could violate privacy protections, could jeopardize recipient privacy, or could otherwise be mishandled.
USDA reviewed these comments and determined that many reflected uncertainty about how the routine uses in the notice interact with the confidentiality and disclosure requirements of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, 7 USC 2011 et seq, as well as other privacy-related statutes, such as the Privacy Act. USDA remains bound by all applicable statutory requirements governing privacy generally and household and applicant information, as provided by the Food and Nutrition Act. The original SORN stated in the section titled “Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories of Users and Purposes of Such Uses” that any routine use is permitted only to the extent it is consistent with applicable law. Because this issue was raised frequently by commenters, USDA is revising the routine uses section to state more clearly that all routine uses are subject to applicable legal requirements, including the Privacy Act and the Food and Nutrition Act.
This modification also revises the text of routine uses 8 and 11 to more explicitly mirror the language of the Food and Nutrition Act. In addition, USDA is removing the word “foreign” from routine use 8. Since publication of USDA/FNA-15 in the Federal Register, USDA is not aware of any disclosure of SNAP data under this SORN to a foreign entity. Although USDA did not intend that term to suggest that such disclosures were anticipated, its inclusion as standard Departmental language created unnecessary concern. USDA is therefore deleting the term to avoid confusion in the future.
USDA is also modifying this SORN to update the storage description from the currently published notice. The revised language clarifies that records in the National SNAP Information Database are maintained electronically and hosted in a FedRAMP High certified cloud infrastructure environment. USDA is making this update so that the SORN more accurately describes the system's current storage and technical environment. An administrative name change has been made from Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA).