IMPROPER FOOD STAMP

DISTRIBUTIONS



House Bill 4101

Sponsor: Rep. Alan Sanborn

Committee: Family and Children Services


Complete to 3-24-99



A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4101 AS INTRODUCED 1-28-99

House Bill 4101 would amend the Social Welfare Act (MCL 400. 110c) to establish procedures under which the Family Independence Agency (FIA) would end improper food stamp distributions to deceased recipients. The provisions of the bill would have to be implemented no later than 60 days after the bill's effective date.


Termination of Food Stamps. Currently, under Section 205(r) of the Social Security Act (42 USC 405), the Social Security Administration (SSA) has established a cooperative program with individual states to verify the status of individuals who receive federal old age, survivors', and disability benefits by checking death certificate records, which are furnished by the states, against recipients' Social Security numbers. House Bill 4101 would require that the FIA compare the Social Security numbers of food stamp recipients to the Social Security numbers maintained by the SSA. If the department discovered by this comparison that a food stamp recipient was deceased, then distribution would end immediately. In addition, the FIA could institute recoupment proceedings.


Report to Legislature. The FIA would be required, under the bill, to submit an annual report to the Senate and House appropriations committees, appropriations subcommittees on the FIA, and any other committee with jurisdiction over human services matters. The report would have to include both the number of recipients from the SSA program to whom food stamps had been improperly distributed and the dollar amount of food stamps that had been distributed.


MCL 400.10c










Analyst: R. Young



This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.