S-0259.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5261
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senators Hargrove, Winsley and Long
Read first time 01/21/97. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to utilizing drivers' licenses and identicards to prevent welfare fraud; adding a new section to chapter 74.04 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The intent of this act is to prevent duplicate assistance welfare fraud. Each year a significant amount of money is stolen from the department of social and health services by welfare recipients who establish themselves with multiple identities. This act will significantly reduce duplicate assistance welfare fraud by requiring welfare recipients to prove their identity by presenting an authentic Washington state driver's license or identicard. This act anticipates that the department of licensing will soon be introducing a new driver's license and identicard that cannot be fraudulently obtained or counterfeited.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.04 RCW to read as follows:
(1) No later than ninety days after the department of licensing starts requiring a one to many finger image search as a prerequisite to receiving a driver's license or identicard, the department of social and health services shall require all recipients of public assistance to provide a valid Washington state driver's license or identicard before receiving assistance. For the purposes of this act, a valid Washington state driver's license or identicard is defined as one that is not expired.
(2) The department of social and health services shall adopt rules authorizing assistance under RCW 74.04.660 as an exception to the requirements in subsection (1) of this section.
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