GOP Welfare Reform Package Set to Move in the House

This week, House Republicans outlined the caucus’s priorities with regards to reforming what they refer to as Pennsylvania’s “broken” welfare system. According to the lawmakers who unveiled the eight-point package on Wednesday, the plan – called “WelFAIR” (Fairness, Accountability, Integrity and Responsibility) – has been introduced in reaction to the instances of waste, fraud and abuse cited by the House Republican Policy Committee, revealed in Auditor General Jack Wagner’s 2009 audit report of the Department of Public Welfare (DPW), and reported by statewide media outlets.

 

Four of the eight pieces of legislation have already been reported out of the House Health Committee, which convened Tuesday of this week to consider the bills:

·         House Bill 960, introduced by Rep. Mauree Gingrich (R-Lebanon), would mandate the use of DPW’s 19-point electronic reference system to determine applicants’ eligibility for benefits. Use of the system, which is already in place, is currently discretionary only.

·         House Bill 1251, introduced by Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne), would strengthen penalties for welfare fraud and expands investigatory powers into cases of fraud by the Inspector General’s Office.

·         House Bill 1261, introduced by Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery), would ensure that eligible welfare applicants are afforded assistance based on levels authorized in their county of permanent legal residence, regardless of where benefit applications are made in the state.

·         House Bill 1254, introduced by Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland), would prohibit the purchase of tobacco or tobacco-related products with welfare-issued electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. The bill was amended in committee to expand this prohibition to the use of EBT cards at gaming venues.

 

Another bill in the package is on tap for consideration by the House Health Committee next week, Monday the 11^th. House Bill 1301, introduced by Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion), would implement new, more restrictive guidelines on the existing Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP).

 

Of the remaining two pieces of legislation, only House Bill 1297 has been introduced thus far. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett, would require drug felons convicted within the previous five years to be subject to random drug tests in order to receive public welfare benefits.

 

The remaining bill is a welfare-to-work initiative, which would transition the special allowance program to a loan-based initiative “geared toward helping welfare recipients become self-sufficient.” That legislation will be sponsored by Rep. Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery).