State Auditor Nicole Galloway will announce results of an examination of the state’s delivery of the federal program that used to be known as food stamps.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is managed by the state’s Department of Social Services’ food assistance program.

Galloway announced the audit more than a year ago to examine safeguards and investigate fraudulent or suspicious activity in the program.

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway-D

She said then that the review would be conducted by the newly-formed Data Analytics Technical Audit unit.  The examination was part of the State Auditor’s Budget Integrity Series to look contributing factors to a budget crisis.

Missouri does not currently have a financial problem as it did in April 2017 when then Governor Greitens had withheld funding for some state programs and services.

The target of the SNAP audit appeared to be fraudulent use of the low-income food program that’s distributed to residents on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that can be used to purchase groceries.

“I know that identifying fraud can be difficult, and that’s why we’re using new technology and a specialized audit team to examine this program,” said Galloway on April 6th, 2016.

Federal tax dollars pay for SNAP benefits while the state shares the cost of administering the program with the federal government. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 800,000 Missourians received SNAP benefits in the 2016 fiscal year.

Galloway, a Democrat who is up for reelection in November, has announced two news conferences where she intends to release the results of her audit.  They’re scheduled for 10 a.m. in Springfield and 2 p.m. in Kansas City.

Republican lawmakers have moved to place work requirements and restrictions on SNAP recipients.

A bill this year from Senator David Sater of Cassville would have made non-exempt individuals work at least 20 hours a week or face disqualification from SNAP.  The measure stalled on the Senate Floor.

A proposal from Representative J. Eggleston of Maysville would have prohibited a recipient of TANF (Welfare) or SNAP from using an EBT card at an automated teller machine (ATM) to cash out their benefits.

The bill was intended to safeguard against purchasing prohibited items with cash.  It passed the House on party lines but failed to reach the Senate floor.