Governor Katie Hobbs Vetoes Legislation to Address Fraud and Abuse of Arizona's Food Assistance Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                       Monday, April 21, 2025

Governor Katie Hobbs Vetoes Legislation to Address Fraud and Abuse

of Arizona's Food Assistance Program

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senator John Kavanagh is calling out Governor Hobbs for irresponsibly vetoing his legislation to ensure Arizona's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) has proper oversight to prevent fraud and ensure the program is used as intended.

With ongoing concerns over individuals wrongfully taking advantage of state and federal welfare programs, Senator Kavanagh sponsored SB 1071 to ensure important government resources are only provided to the Arizona citizens who need them most. SB 1071 would have increased oversight of SNAP by requiring monthly evaluations of eligibility requirements for participants. This includes verification of employment records, income amounts, and job search activity. The bill would have also allowed the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) to use Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to track any purchases made out-of-state over a 90-day period. This would have helped ensure that anyone who has moved out of state is no longer collecting these benefits from the State of Arizona.

"The Governor choosing to veto this bill sends a strong message to our people that she cares more about maintaining a broken system that is widely abused by bad actors, than providing guardrails to protect resources for those who actually need them," said Senator Kavanagh. "This was a commonsense measure to safeguard the hard-earned dollars of Arizona's taxpayers from fraud and waste. I am extremely disappointed, but not surprised, that she continues to choose to appeal to the radical left with her tone-deaf veto decisions rather than support legislation to ensure fiscal responsibility of public funds."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov