HARRISBURG – Three bills to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Pennsylvania’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and Medical Assistance program were passed by the Pennsylvania Senate today with bipartisan support.
Introduced by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) and Sen. Scott Martin (R-13), Senate Bills 155, 156, and 157 will strengthen the state’s efforts to prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars in public assistance programs.
“Criminals and dead people should not receive millions of taxpayer dollars year after year,” said Argall. “These dollars are meant to provide critical assistance for those struggling to make ends meet. We need stronger laws on the books to stop blatant fraud and abuse.”
“As our state grapples with a multi-billion-dollar structural deficit, it is critical to take a closer look at how we can protect our tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse,” Martin said. “Passing these bills in the first week of our new legislative session sends a powerful message that we are committed to safeguarding every dollar taxpayers send to Harrisburg.”
Senate Bill 155 would prevent dead people from receiving benefits by requiring DHS to check death certificates at the Bureau of Vital Statistics against recipients of public assistance. A state audit previously found 2,324 deceased public assistance recipients received benefits totaling $700,000 in a 12-month period. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 30-19.
Senate Bill 156 requires DHS to compare wage records held by employers and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue with public assistance recipients quarterly to prevent fraud. From 2019-23, the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General filed more than 2,900 criminal complaints of welfare fraud, with more than $15 million owed in restitution. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 30-19.
Senate Bill 157 would update the Public Assistance Integrity Act to require the Department of Human Services to issue a yearly report on their efforts to ensure lottery winners are not receiving cash benefits. The Public Assistance Integrity Act, a bipartisan initiative signed into law in 2018, closed a loophole that did not require lottery winnings to be considered as income when determining eligibility for benefits. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 29-20.
All three bills now advance to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for its consideration.
CONTACT: Jason Thompson (Martin)
Jim Brugger (Argall)