TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Florida\u2019s new budget includes millions to help catch people who may try to illegally get SNAP benefits.<\/p>\n
The state is planning to invest $4 million in an AI detection system to confirm users\u2019 eligibility for SNAP. The federal government requires states to maintain an error rate below 6% to avoid paying SNAP benefit costs the following year.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers maintained that this is a needed long-term investment.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City) said it\u2019s an important measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s important that the feds don\u2019t just come in and say April 2027, it looks like you\u2019re good. It\u2019s going to be a blended model over multiple months. So I think making sure that we get everything under control today is really important as we move forward,\u201d Trumbull said.<\/p>\n
Florida Politics:<\/p>\n
However, researchers at the Florida Policy Institute say an overreliance on this technology may not be a one size fits all for Florida families.<\/p>\n
Cindy Huddleston of the Florida Policy Institute said people who use SNAP benefits will now face challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are someone who has barriers or specific challenges in your life and you need to talk to someone face to face or person to person. You\u2019ll have a hard time doing that often under the system that Florida has now,\u201d Huddleston said.<\/p>\n
The budget does not list a vendor that would produce the service. Gov. DeSantis has not signed the budget or vetoed any items yet.<\/p>\n
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