Texas Lawmakers Propose Legislation To Reduce Food Stamp Fraud

Lawmakers in the state of Texas have proposed new legislation aimed at reducing the amount of food stamp fraud in the state.

State Representative Susan King filed two bills last Tuesday, the first of which disqualifies people from the program who don’t pay child support. Once a person has caught up with their child support payments, they are then eligible to once again receive benefits. The bill does not apply in cases where a delay in child support was approved by a judge.

The second bill permanently bans people from the program if they fail to meet the work requirements three times in a row without a legitimate reason. King indicated that their goal with the legislation is to encourage responsibility for those utilizing the food stamp program.

In Texas, food stamp programs follow federal guidelines requiring recipients to look for a job or get qualified job training.

King was quoted by KTXS as having said that it’s “only fair” that those receiving taxpayer-funded benefits should “follow the rules” and “try to work and make the effort to contribute.”

This new legislation proposed by state legislators won’t affect children on the food stamp program, as they will continue to receive benefits regardless of their parent’s status.

Another piece of legislation filed by the state rep. regarding the Abilene State Supported Living Center would require the Department of Aging and Disability Services to setup a payment plan which would allow the community to take advantage of services that the supported living center provides. This would include the ability to use body support and custom-designed mobility devices for those in need of such equipment.

Other bills filed by separate state lawmakers would require a recipient’s name and photograph to be displayed on the benefits card.

If the proposed legislation is approved by Texas lawmaker in the upcoming session, the various bills would go into effect on September 1, 2015.

There’s also a congressional bill currently in the U.S. House which would also require recipients to display photo identification when using their EBT cards.

In other news on Inquisitr about the benefit cards, state legislators in Colorado may ban the use of EBT cards at marijuana dispensaries. The bill, which is being introduced by Colorado’s Republican Senator Vicki Marble, would call for marijuana to be regulated and sold like alcohol an, as EBT cards are not allowed to be used in the state’s liquor stores, the bill would effectively align the state’s pot laws with their alcohol laws.

What do you think of Texas legislators’ attempts to crackdown on food stamp fraud in the Lone Star State?