Governor joins lawsuit to fight against unwarranted data requests
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 3, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear joined leaders from 23 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s unlawful policy changes that would give broad access to sensitive and private information of American families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. More than 28,200 Kentuckians rely on support from the federal program, which is administered through the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) in the commonwealth.
“I joined this lawsuit because no Kentuckian – and no American – should have to worry about their confidential and personal information being shared unlawfully,” Gov. Beshear said. “Social Security numbers, addresses and more are private – and we’re fighting back against the Trump administration’s unlawful actions to ensure they stay that way.”
In June 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a notice claiming to dramatically expand its oversight of state TANF programs, including by allowing ACF to share detailed records on TANF recipients with other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under ACF’s new policy, TANF recipients’ Social Security numbers, addresses, immigration status and other sensitive personal data would be illegally shared across the federal government and even potentially with private organizations.
Congress created TANF as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The law requires the federal government to provide block grants to states, territories and tribal governments, which then have broad authority to use the funds for a variety of programs to provide assistance to low-income families with children. TANF funds support childcare subsidies, emergency housing for families fleeing domestic violence, emergency food assistance, support for grandparents caring for children and other crucial services.
The law enacting TANF specifically requires states, not the federal government, to be responsible for verifying TANF applicants’ eligibility for benefits. Yet ACF now claims the agency has broad authority to oversee states’ TANF programs and share recipients’ private data with other federal agencies to double check their immigration status. Gov. Beshear and the coalition argue that this policy would cause significant harm to the vulnerable communities that rely on TANF funds. Allowing TANF recipients’ private data to be illegally shared across the federal government would erode trust that states’ TANF programs have built with immigrant communities and deter those legally qualified to receive benefits from seeking assistance. ACF’s policy could also lead to unlawful oversight requirements from the federal government – diverting resources that should be used on critical programs to help low-income families.
In addition to Kentucky, other states represented in the case are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.
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