Bill > H109

This bill mandates that the Department of Transitional Assistance (the "department") and the Division of Medical Assistance (the "division") establish computerized systems to verify the income, assets, and identity of applicants and recipients of public assistance programs, aiming to prevent fraud and eliminate duplicate benefits. These agencies may contract with third-party vendors to develop and implement these systems, with the requirement that any vendor-provided system must demonstrate annualized savings that exceed its cost to the state. The bill outlines an extensive list of federal and state databases, including those from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and various state agencies, against which applicants' and recipients' social security numbers will be cross-referenced to verify eligibility. If discrepancies arise, applicants and recipients will be notified and given an opportunity to explain, though self-declarations alone will not suffice for eligibility verification, and failure to resolve discrepancies may lead to benefit suspension or denial. Furthermore, the bill requires a computerized identity authentication process for all applicants, including a knowledge-based quiz that accommodates individuals without established credit histories, and mandates the referral of suspected fraud cases to appropriate authorities for prosecution and recovery of improperly obtained benefits, including garnishing wages or tax refunds. The provisions of this bill are set to take effect by January 15, 2016, and the department and division will be required to report on the effectiveness of these verification systems annually.