HB 451: "An Act prohibiting persons from receiving or attempting to receive duplicate assistance; directing the Department of Health and Social Services to establish a pilot project relating to identification of recipients of public assistance; and providing for an effective date."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 451 01 "An Act prohibiting persons from receiving or attempting to receive duplicate 02 assistance; directing the Department of Health and Social Services to establish a 03 pilot project relating to identification of recipients of public assistance; and 04 providing for an effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 47.25 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 47.25.175. DUPLICATE ASSISTANCE PROHIBITED. (a) The 08 department shall deny an application for assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300 09 if the applicant is, at the time of the application, receiving assistance under 10 AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300 or 47.25.310 - 47.25.420. 11 (b) A person is guilty of a violation if, as a result of the person's intentional 12 conduct, the person 13 (1) receives or attempts to receive assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 14 47.25.300 and 47.25.310 - 47.25.420 for the same time period; or
01 (2) receives or attempts to receive assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 02 47.25.300 while already receiving assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300 for the 03 same time period. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 47.25 is amended by adding a new section to read: 05 Sec. 47.25.367. DUPLICATE ASSISTANCE PROHIBITED. (a) The 06 department shall deny an application for assistance under AS 47.25.310 - 47.25.420 07 if the applicant is, at the time of the application, receiving assistance under 08 AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300 or 47.25.310 - 47.25.420. 09 (b) A person is guilty of a violation if, as a result of the person's intentional 10 conduct, the person 11 (1) receives or attempts to receive assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 12 47.25.300 and 47.25.310 - 47.25.420 for the same time period; or 13 (2) receives or attempts to receive assistance under AS 47.25.310 - 14 47.25.420 while already receiving assistance under AS 47.25.310 - 47.25.420 for the 15 same time period. 16 * Sec. 3. ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM. (a) The 17 Department of Health and Social Services shall establish a pilot project to be known as the 18 assistance recipient identification program. The pilot project shall be operated in the 19 municipality of the state that, in fiscal year 1995, had the highest number of persons receiving 20 assistance under AS 47.25.310 - 47.25.420 (aid to families with dependent children). 21 (b) The purpose of the program is to eliminate duplication of assistance to recipients 22 and to enable the state to have accurate records on the history and duration of each recipient's 23 use of public assistance in this state and in other jurisdictions. 24 (c) As a condition of receiving or applying for assistance, every adult in the program 25 area who receives or applies for assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.420 (general relief 26 assistance and aid to families with dependent children) shall be identified using two digit 27 electronic finger imaging. The resulting photographic images shall be stored in a central 28 database. 29 (d) The department, where feasible, shall work with other states to execute agreements 30 to implement compatible computer cross matching identification systems. 31 (e) Absent a court order, only the following may have access to identification records
01 developed under the program: 02 (1) the department; and 03 (2) designated officials of states with whom the department executes 04 agreements under (d) of this section. 05 (f) The department shall make a report to the governor by February 1, 1998, with a 06 second report by February 1, 1999, about the program and notify the legislature that the report 07 is available. The report must include 08 (1) caseload data before implementation of the program and annually 09 afterwards for comparison purposes to judge the program's effectiveness at fraud deterrence; 10 (2) a description of attempts at and instances of multiple enrollments by 11 persons in the program; 12 (3) an analysis of whether the program has been useful in tracking the history 13 and duration of recipients' use of public assistance in this state and in other jurisdictions; 14 (4) an analysis of the cost effectiveness of the program; and 15 (5) recommendations regarding whether the program should be discontinued, 16 expanded, or otherwise modified. 17 (g) In this section, 18 (1) "department" means the Department of Health and Social Services; 19 (2) "program" means the pilot project operated under this section. 20 * Sec. 4. Section 3 of this Act takes effect January 1, 1997. 21 * Sec. 5. Section 3 of this Act is repealed February 2, 1999.