Public Assistance Integrity Act

6/15/2012 (Updated 6:54:39 PM)

Should welfare recipients be able to use public assistance to buy cigarettes, alcohol, and lottery tickets?

State Senator Tom Libous says no.

He's introducing the "Public Assistance Integrity Act."

The bill would prohibit welfare recipients from using their Electronic Benefit Transfer or , EBT  cards at certain places.

These would include liquor stores, casinos, and strip clubs.

Libous says his bill would align the state with a federal mandate.


"This is going to conform with federal law. The federal government said by 2014 - February of 2014 - if the states don't go after this New York State would lose $125 million in aid," said Senator Thomas Libous.

The bill calls for penalties for merchants who allow prohibited purchases.

If the bill becomes law, recipients who repeatedly make banned purchases could lose benefits.