Wisconsin Lawmakers Order Audit of FoodShare Program
Wisconsin lawmakers voted Tuesday to approve an audit of the state's FoodShare program, which provides food assistance to about 700,000 residents. The audit comes as new federal rules impose financial penalties on states with high error rates in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administration.
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee's 6-4 vote to initiate the audit split along party lines, with four Democrats voting against it without explaining their decision during the hearing. The committee also approved separate audits of the state's building program and its oversight of anti-poverty nonprofits, with some Democrats joining Republicans on those measures.
Federal Rules and Penalty Risk
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, states must maintain a SNAP error rate below 6% or pay a portion of their benefit costs. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, fines could reach up to $200 million annually for the state.
Wisconsin's error rate for fiscal year 2025 was 5.72%, below the federal threshold and roughly half the national average of 10.62%. The state was one of just nine states with an error rate low enough to avoid federal penalties, according to Wisconsin DHS.
Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Racine, co-chair of the Committee on Audit, emphasized the importance of staying compliant: "We take this penalty very seriously and you can tell me well it's below 6%, but it's at 5.7%. All we need is one hiccup and things are going to go the wrong way for us."
Wittke also noted that the state faces "close to a $300 million risk" if it fails to comply with federal requirements, making the audit timely.
Agency Cooperation and Official Statements
The heads of the three affected state agencies – the Department of Administration (DOA), Department of Health Services (DHS), and Department of Children and Families (DCF) – all pledged to cooperate with the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau, which will conduct the probes.
DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson highlighted the program's strengths, saying, "We collectively should be very proud of our state's administration of FoodShare. Wisconsin ranks first in the nation for timeliness of application processing."
Johnson also addressed fraud concerns raised by Sen. Eric Wimberger, who asked about mechanisms to stop fraudulent activities, referencing drug addicts and the selling of meat on the street. Johnson said the Office of Inspector General tracks inappropriate use and shares information with the audit bureau.
DCF Secretary Jeff Pertl acknowledged a "tension" as governmental bodies seek to avoid overreach, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Audit Scope and History
The audit will analyze program costs, eligibility policies and practices, and trends in the number of benefit recipients, as reported by WEAU. It will also examine the effectiveness of controls and potential improvements, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Joe Chrisman, Wisconsin state auditor, said the review is important because the bureau has not conducted a performance evaluation of FoodShare since 2012. "It's important for us to catch up our knowledge at the deeper level since we haven't done the performance evaluation work since 2012," Chrisman said.
The audits of the building program and oversight of anti-poverty nonprofits follow the closure of Newcap amid allegations of misuse of funds, as reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Auditors will review DOA's oversight of construction projects for state agencies and the UW System.