The proposal spends $7.4 million in state and federal dollars to put FoodShare recipients’ photos on the program’s debit cards.
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The bill up for a vote Tuesday would deny unemployment benefits for seven years to anyone who impersonates someone to obtain benefits two times.
“Fraud is real and by putting these measures in place, we can hopefully get those who are breaking the rules to stop breaking them”, said Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls. But Democrats said the measures will do nothing to prevent fraud, and are instead a distraction from issues people really care about such as creating jobs.
“It’s appalling they’d waste that much money to try and label themselves as reformers”, Jorgensen said.
In September, Assembly lawmakers on the Public Benefit Reform Committee backed off the original proposal to require store clerks to check the recipient’s photo on the debt card during a food purchase.
That would require about 368,000 new cards with photos being sent to more than 823,000 FoodShare clients.
Rep. Jesse Kremer of Kewaskum is the author of the bills.
– Allow a FoodShare recipient to receive three replacement debit cards, known as Quest cards, each year no questions asked.
Another proposal taken up Tuesday would require the state Department of Health Services to notify those who request five or more replacement cards in the space of a year that they could be investigated for potential fraudulent activity. It passed the Assembly on a voice vote without debate.
The third bill would have the state clear out the balances in inactive FoodShare accounts after six months.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, a law firm representing low-income people, say they are concerned the change would result in people who make honest mistakes in the complicated application losing unemployment benefits. Jacque argued the bill is aimed at large unspent balances though, and that “if benefits are going unused month, after month, after month…the program isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to”.
That bill passed 66-31, with all Republicans and five Democrats voting for it. Assembly Republicans passed the bill 63-34.
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The measure is supported by a host of business groups, including the state chamber of commerce.
