H-0559.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1021
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Representatives Boldt, Koster, Lambert, Schoesler, Sterk, Mulliken, Sherstad, Carrell, L. Thomas, Cooke, Bush, Smith, Dunn, Mielke, Cairnes, O'Brien and Backlund
Read first time 01/13/97. Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.
AN ACT Relating to suspension of public assistance payments; amending RCW 74.08.290; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that those individuals who abuse and defraud the welfare system not only steal scarce resources, but also perpetuate myths about people on public assistance. The taxpayers of this state have limited resources with which to help those in need and it is imperative that the legislature use its authority to ensure that those resources are assisting the truly needy.
People who are caught abusing public trust by defrauding the welfare system should be punished and not allowed to receive public assistance.
Sec. 2. RCW 74.08.290 and 1995 c 379 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The department is hereby authorized to suspend ((temporarily)) the
public assistance granted to any person ((for any period during which such
person is not in need thereof)).
(2) If a recipient is convicted of any crime or offense, and punished by imprisonment, no payment shall be made during the period of imprisonment.
((If
a recipient is convicted of unlawful practices under RCW 74.08.331, no payment
shall be made for a period to be determined by the court, but in no event less
than six months upon the first conviction and no less than twelve months for a
second or subsequent violation. This suspension of public assistance shall
apply regardless of whether the recipient is subject to complete or partial
confinement upon conviction, or incurs some lesser penalty.))
(3)(a) If an applicant for or recipient of public assistance intentionally provides a false or misleading statement or commits an act, which statement or act is designed to misrepresent, conceal, or withhold facts for the purpose of establishing or maintaining eligibility for public assistance or for the purpose of increasing, or preventing a reduction in, the amount of a grant, the applicant or recipient is in violation of this subsection (3)(a) and is subject to the penalties provided in (b) of this subsection.
(b) An individual who is found to have committed a violation of (a) of this subsection by a state administrative law judge or by a state court or federal court is ineligible for continued public assistance for the following periods:
(i) Six months for the first violation;
(ii) Twelve months for the second violation; and
(iii) Permanently for the third violation.
For the purpose of applying these penalties, numerous violations on a single application, or in a single statement, made by an individual count as one violation.
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