Welfare Abuse Prevention Act

Bill: 114-s-1288
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2015-05-12
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Poverty and welfare assistance

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2015-05-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-05-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Welfare Abuse Prevention Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require any state receiving a TANF block grant to maintain policies and practices to ensure that cash assistance disbursed through an electronic benefit transfer card or an electronic payment card shall not be used to withdraw more than $25 per day from an automated teller machine or through a cash-back procedure at a point of sale terminal.</p> <p>The Department of Health and Human Services shall reduce to $0 the state family assistance grant payable to any state which, within two years after enactment of this Act, has not reported on its implementation of this cash withdrawal limit or has not implemented such a limit.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1288 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 12, 2015 Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To require States to implement a cash withdrawal daily limit for recipients of cash assistance under the temporary assistance for needy families program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Welfare Abuse Prevention Act . 2. Cash withdrawal daily limit for assistance under State TANF programs (a) State requirement Section 408(a)(12) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 608(a)(12) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: (B) Cash withdrawal daily limit A State to which a grant is made under section 403 shall maintain policies and practices as necessary to ensure that cash assistance disbursed through an electronic benefit transfer card or an electronic payment card shall not be used to withdraw more than $25 per day from an automated teller machine or through a cash-back procedure at a point-of-sale terminal that is located in a place that is not prohibited from being used under subparagraph (A). . (b) Penalty Section 409(a)(16) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 609(a)(16) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and realigning the left margins accordingly; (B) by striking section 408(a)(12) and inserting section 408(a)(12)(A) ; (C) by striking If, within and inserting the following: (i) Prohibited places for spending of benefits If, within ; and (D) by adding at the end the following new clause: (ii) Cash withdrawal daily limit If, within 2 years after the date of the Welfare Abuse Prevention Act , any State has not reported to the Secretary on such State's implementation of the policies and practices required by section 408(a)(12)(B), or the Secretary determines, based on the information provided in State reports, that any State has not implemented and maintained such policies and practices, the Secretary shall reduce to $0 the State family assistance grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for— (I) the fiscal year immediately succeeding the year in which such 2-year period ends; and (II) each succeeding fiscal year in which the State does not demonstrate that such State has implemented and maintained such policies and practices. ; (2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting clause (i) or (ii) of before subparagraph (A) ; and (3) in subparagraph (C), by inserting clause (i) or (ii) of before subparagraph (A) . (c) Additional State plan requirement Section 402(a)(1)(A) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (vii), by striking section 408(a)(12) and inserting section 408(a)(12)(A), and to comply with the cash withdrawal daily limit required under section 408(a)(12)(B) ; and (2) in clause (viii), by inserting the cash withdrawal daily limit and after information on .