Bill > SB52

This bill establishes new procedures for managing public assistance benefits for children in Louisiana. It mandates that the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) report changes in a child's household circumstances to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) within 72 hours of a hearing related to child custody. The LDH will then use this information to review existing benefits, adjust programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), and TANF (Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program) to reflect the new household situation, and issue new Medicaid cards if necessary. The bill also requires DCFS to inform LDH when a child under 18 is returned to a parent's custody, and LDH will assess situations where a child is included in multiple households receiving benefits. Furthermore, if an individual fails to report a change in household circumstances and receives benefits for a child no longer living with them, LDH will refer the case for fraud investigation and recovery of ineligible benefits. Finally, the bill creates the role of a State Child Ombudsman who will conduct an annual review of how the DCFS and LDH implement these new reporting and benefit adjustment procedures, ensuring timely compliance and reviewing departmental processes.