CA Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general with NY Attorney General Letitia James, announced a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) demand that states turn over personal and sensitive information about millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. SNAP applicants provide their private information on the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes. USDA has suggested that it could withhold administrative funding for the program if states fail to comply — effectively forcing states to choose between protecting their residents’ privacy and providing critical nutrition assistance to those in need. The coalition argues that this demand violates multiple federal privacy laws and the U.S. Constitution. “This unprecedented demand that states turn over SNAP data violates all kinds of state and federal privacy laws and further breaks the trust between the federal government and the people it serves. The President doesn’t get to change the rules in the middle of the game, no matter how much he may want to. While he may be comfortable breaking promises to the American people, California is not. We will not comply with this illegal demand. We’ll see the President in court.” – AG Bonta