Bill Text: NH SB529 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing a food stamp photo identification requirement.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-03 - Refer to Interim Study, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 03/03/2016; Senate Journal 7 [SB529 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2016-SB529-Introduced.html
SB 529-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2016 SESSION
16-2708
05/03
SENATE BILL 529-FN
AN ACT establishing a food stamp photo identification requirement.
SPONSORS: Sen. Cataldo, Dist 6; Rep. Cheney, Straf. 17; Rep. Gray, Straf. 8; Rep. Whitehouse, Straf. 2
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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ANALYSIS
This bill directs the department of health and human services to establish a photo identification requirement for participants in the food stamp program.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
16-2708
05/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen
AN ACT establishing a food stamp photo identification requirement.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Food Stamp Program; Photo Identification. Amend RSA 161 by inserting after section 11 the following new section:
161:12 Food Stamp Program; Photo Identification. The department of health and human services shall require that the electronic benefit card for food stamp participants contain a photograph of one or more members of the household. The department shall establish procedures to ensure that any eligible member of the household or any authorized representative of the household may use the photo identification card. The department shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to the use of photo identification cards required under this section.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
16-2708
1/28/16
SB 529-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing a food stamp photo identification requirement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill, as introduced, will increase state expenditures and revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill requires the Department to adopt rules to require that electronic benefit cards (EBT) for Food Stamp participants contains a photograph of one or more members of the household. The Department would also be required to establish procedures to ensure that any eligible member of the household or any authorized representative of the household may use the photo EBT card. The Department provides the following information and assumptions concerning the fiscal impact of this bill:
- Given the limited size of the EBT cards, each card would contain only one photograph.
- As of September 2015, there were 49,806 open food stamp cases in New Hampshire.
- The Department receives an average of 5,540 food stamp applications each month.
- Guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prevents states from terminating eligibility because a household member refuses to have a photograph taken. The refusing household member’s benefits must be held in abeyance until they agree to have a photograph taken and the rest of the household will continue to receive benefits. The Department would need to make significant system changes to allow benefits to accrue in abeyance for those who refuse, or are unable, to have a photo taken during business hours because of employment or health issues. There currently are 16,166 employed Food Stamp recipients and 10,939 disabled recipients.
- Photographs would be taken at the District Offices by Department staff. Modernization efforts in recent years have eliminated the need for many clients to personally appear at District Offices. This bill would increase traffic in the district offices and require additional staff to manage the increased traffic. Twelve additional Secretary II positions and two Program Assistant I positions would be needed.
- The Department would need to purchase photograph ID systems for each district office.
- A database of photographs will need to be developed and maintained by both the EBT vendor and the Department, with the ability to cross reference the photo files.
- EBT cards would be replaced on an as needed basis to avoid a mass replacement of all New Hampshire cards at once.
- The overall volume of cards purchased would increase due to the need to replace existing cards.
- The public will need to be educated about the new requirements, and that other household members and authorized representatives will be allowed to use the cards.
- Implementation is assumed to occur on July 1, 2016.
Based on these assumptions, the Department estimated the following additional program costs:
One-time Costs: | Amount |
New HEIGHTS System Changes: (Contractor staff for 2,773 hours at $103/ hour) | $285,619
|
EBT Contractor Change Request: (Various Staff, 2,520 hours at an average cost of $110.78/ hour) | $279,175 |
EBT One-time Implementation Cost: (Card design fee, implementation fee and client training materials | $28,000 |
One-time cost for DHHS equipment: (24 Photo ID Systems @ $3,000 each) | $72,000 |
Total One-time Costs: | $664,794 |
Ongoing Costs: |
|
Operation fees for maintaining the Photo file database: ($1,500 per month X 12 months) | $18,000 |
EBT card pricing: (Estimated 4,000 cards/month @$2.08 each = $8,320 X 12 months) | $99,840 |
Total Ongoing Costs: | $117,840 |
Total Costs: | FY 2017 | FY 2018 | FY 2019 | FY 2020 |
One-Time Costs: | $664,794 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ongoing Costs: |
|
|
|
|
Personnel (salary, benefits, etc) | $762,000 | $736,000 | $764,000 | $806,000 |
Photo file database,EBT card pricing | $117,840 | $117,840 | $117,840 | $117,840 |
Total Costs: | $1,554,634 | $853,840 | $884,840 | $923,840 |
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Federal Funds (63.72%): | $990,613 | $544,067 | $563,820 | $588,671 |
State Funds (36.28%): | $564,021 | $309,773 | $321,020 | $335,169 |
This bill does not provide authorization or appropriation for any new positions.
