Bill > SB887

This bill modifies existing Oklahoma law concerning the transfer and penalties related to food stamp benefits, which are part of a federal program designed to help low-income individuals purchase food. Specifically, it adds a provision that prohibits the transfer of food stamp benefits, or any device used to access them like benefit or debit cards, to individuals not authorized to receive them, thereby expanding the definition of illegal trafficking. The bill also clarifies that the Department of Human Services, rather than the former Commission for Human Services, oversees these regulations. Furthermore, it mandates that district attorneys must present a disqualification consent agreement to defendants charged with food stamp violations who are offered deferred adjudication or sentencing, which is a type of court-supervised program that can lead to charges being dismissed if certain conditions are met. The bill also adjusts penalties for certain violations, changing imprisonment for misdemeanors from the State Penitentiary to county jail, and makes other technical amendments. This legislation is set to become effective on November 1, 2013.