101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1374

 

Introduced 2/13/2019, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
305 ILCS 5/12-4.4a new

    Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Secretary of Human Services to seek a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to allow the State to include on the face of every LINK card issued to a recipient of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or cash assistance under the Code a photo of the cardholder. Requires the Department of Human Services to provide the General Assembly with various good faith cost estimates including the estimated cost of replacing every still-valid LINK card with a card that contains on its face a photo of the cardholder and the estimated cost of "phasing in" new photo identification cards issued under the current contract with the current LINK card vendor. Provides that the Department shall suggest a process to the General Assembly that allows the caregiver of a recipient of SNAP benefits or cash assistance under this Code to use the recipient's LINK card on the recipient's behalf. Provides that the General Assembly shall through legislation determine whether it wishes to implement the waiver based on projected cost estimates and other matters.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning public aid.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
5adding Section 12-4.4a as follows:
 
6    (305 ILCS 5/12-4.4a new)
7    Sec. 12-4.4a. LINK cards; cardholder photo.
8    (a) In this Section:
9    "Cardholder" means the person to whom or for whose benefit
10the Department issues an electronic benefits transfer card for
11the purpose of obtaining SNAP benefits or cash.
12    "Caregiver" has the meaning ascribed to that term in
13Section 12-4.4a of the Criminal Code of 2012.
14    "Department" means the Department of Human Services.
15    "LINK card" means an electronic benefits transfer card
16issued by the Department for the purpose of enabling the
17cardholder to obtain SNAP benefits or cash.
18    "SNAP" means the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
19Program.
20    (b) Within 6 months after the effective date of this
21amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Secretary of
22Human Services shall seek a waiver from the United States
23Department of Agriculture to allow the State to include on the

 

 

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1face of every LINK card issued to a recipient of SNAP benefits
2or cash assistance under this Code a photo of the cardholder.
3    (c) Within 6 moths after the effective date of this
4amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Department
5shall provide the General Assembly with a good faith estimate
6of the cost, pursuant to a potential waiver under subsection
7(b), of (i) replacing every still-valid LINK card with a card
8that contains on its face a photo of the cardholder; (ii)
9"phasing in" new photo identification cards issued under the
10current contract with the current LINK card vendor; and (iii)
11implementing photo identification cards pursuant to federal
12waiver in subsection (b) through new request for proposals once
13the contract with the current LINK card vendor expires.
14    (d) Within 6 months after the effective date of this
15amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Department
16shall suggest a process to the General Assembly that allows the
17caregiver of a recipient of SNAP benefits or cash assistance
18under this Code to use the recipient's LINK card on the
19recipient's behalf pursuant to the subsection (b) waiver.
20    (e) If the subsection (b) waiver is received, it shall be
21up to the General Assembly through legislation to determine
22whether it wishes to implement the waiver based upon the
23findings in subsection (c) and subsection (d).