Bill > SB1002

This bill, concerning public assistance programs in Arizona, aims to enhance the verification processes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families. It mandates that the Department of Economic Security (DES) actively seek and review various data sources to assess SNAP eligibility more thoroughly. This includes agreements with the Department of Revenue to identify lottery or gambling winnings of $3,000 or more, and regular reviews of information from the Department of Health Services, the Department of Corrections, and tax records to detect changes in recipients' circumstances like employment status, wages, or residency. Furthermore, the bill requires DES to review federal data monthly, such as Social Security Administration records, the national directory of new hires, and FBI data on fugitives, to confirm ongoing eligibility. To promote transparency, the department will also publicly post aggregated data on SNAP fraud investigations, including the number of cases investigated, referred for prosecution, improper payments, and recovered funds. Additionally, the bill modifies rules regarding replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, requiring interviews for recipients requesting multiple replacements within a year to investigate potential fraud, and mandates interviews if a recipient spends more than ten percent of their EBT balance on out-of-state purchases within six months. Finally, it requires monthly identification and contact of individuals making exclusively out-of-state EBT purchases for over ninety days to determine their residency and, if they are not Arizona residents, to remove them from the program and refer them to federal authorities.

Government Affairs

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83554