SB139 Alabama 2018 Session

This bill would further provide for procedures and limitations for various public assistance programs administered by the Department of Human Resources

This bill would preclude the department from granting categorical eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and would require individuals to cooperate with the Child Support Enforcement Division in order to be eligible for SNAP benefits

This bill would provide a lifetime limit of 36 months for temporary cash payments under the state Family Assistance Program administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF)

This bill would require the Department of Human Resources to utilize best efforts to identify purchases at points of sale outside this state using cash benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) or SNAP benefits and to establish a benchmark number of out-of-state transactions using TANF benefits that will automatically generate review of the recipient's residency status by the department, as well as review of frequent or large even-dollar purchases by recipients

This bill would require the Department of Human Resources to monitor all requests for replacement EBT cards, and upon the fourth request, require an office visit by the recipient to alert the recipient that his or her account would be monitored for potential suspicious activity

This bill would also provide for the suspension of cash payments under the TANF program when a recipient fails to cooperate with an ongoing fraud investigation and would require the department to maintain sufficient fraud investigative staff

Relating to public assistance; to preclude the department from seeking, applying for, accepting, or renewing any waiver of work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; to preclude the department from granting categorical eligibility for SNAP benefits; to require individuals to cooperate with the Child Support Enforcement Division in order to be eligible for SNAP benefits; to provide a lifetime limit of 36 months for temporary cash payments under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF); to require the department to utilize best efforts to identify purchases using TANF or SNAP benefits at points of sale outside this state; to require the department to establish a benchmark number of out-of-state transactions using TANF benefits that will automatically generate review of the recipient's residency status; to require review of frequent, large, even-dollar purchases using EBT cards; to require review of multiple requests for replacement EBT cards and investigation for suspicious activity under certain conditions; to provide for the suspension of cash payments under TANF when a recipient fails to comply with a fraud investigation; to require the department to maintain sufficient fraud investigative staff; and to provide rulemaking authority.