Ohio bill proposes anti-fraud, anti-waste measures on public assistance programs
(The Center Square) – In an effort to curb what he calls fraud and abuse, an Ohio state senator has introduced a bill that would make sweeping changes to several of the state’s public assistance programs.
Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, testified this week in front of the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee as the sponsor of Senate Bill 17, saying the bill closes loopholes to fraud and waste.
“For the last 10 months, Ohioans have been tested. They have tightened their budgets, set priorities, identified vulnerabilities, helped their neighbors and will come out stronger for it,” Schaffer said. “Today, we, Ohio’s leaders, are doing the same thing. With this legislation, we will strengthen our budget, prioritize and protect the truly needy and close loopholes that open fraud and waste. And our state will come out stronger for it.”
The legislation, if passed and signed, would make significant changes to the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), unemployment compensation and Medicaid. It would establish anti-fraud and anti-waste measurers for food stamps and unemployment, while adding work requirements for Medicaid.
It also proposes measures that would tighten the unemployment system to help avoid fraudulent claims.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked Congress last month to provide safe harbor for any of the 1.7 million unemployment claims that were filed fraudulently in taxpayer’s names during 2020.
“Every fraudulent unemployment compensation claim is paid for by taxes on our businesses, businesses that are just scraping by to keep their doors open,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer’s bill proposes placing photo identification on SNAP EBT cards to help reduce theft and fraud. He cited Obama Administration statistics when he said annual food stamp fraud in Ohio is around $26.25 million.
“That’s about 53 million apples, which would stretch five times from Cleveland to Cincinnati and back,” Schaffer said. “Placed side by side, the 53 million apples would stretch 2,486 miles along I-71, all denied to needy children and families throughout Ohio because of our lack of fraud-detection measurers.”
Schaffer, who is a member of the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee, was the only witness at the bill’s first hearing. The committee’s next meeting has not been announced.
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