The House Committee on Health and Human Resources met today to report Senate bills to the House floor.
SB 339 would create the Legislative Coalition on Chronic Pain Management. The bill was reported to the House floor with the recommendation that it pass.
SB 360 would create the Legislative Coalition on Diabetes Management. The bill was reported to the House floor with the recommendation that it pass but first be referred to the Committee on Government Organization.
SB 486 relates to health care provider taxes. The bill was reported to the House floor with the recommendation that it pass.
SB 60 relates to eligibility and fraud requirements for public assistance. There are systems like this in other states and they are doing well. Council said there is a belief based on research that there are individuals on these programs that would be found to be ineligible.
Jeremiah Samples, a representative of DHHR, said the department has been looking for years for a way to make sure that their services aren’t being taken advantage of, but ultimately it is a policy decision and the department stays neutral on this bill.
In the bill policy would be revised by setting a limit on the amount of assets one can have in order to be eligible. Delegate Bates (D-Raleigh) said that assets require income to maintain but there is no correlation between the assets one has and how hungry they are. Council later informed the committee that unless the applicant puts their assets on the form and their assets are registered with the DMV, then there is no other way for them to tell what assets they have, so they could have planes, pools or vehicles. The reason there is an asset test is because it is difficult for the department to make eligibility requirements based only on what applicants have in the bank.
Delegate Cooper (R-Summers) wanted to be sure the bill wouldn’t hurt those applying for SNAP benefits in emergency situations. He was assured it wouldn’t.
The program evaluate the eligibility and fraud requirements would be phased in so that more federal dollars could fund the program. There would also be a hearing for those who feel as though the department made a mistake and they can appeal to get their benefits back. The process to apply for an appeal would be in a written request.
Delegate Pushkin (D-Kanawha) questioned about those who have no longer are eligible for SNAP because of an increased work requirement. The presenter, Ms. Terri, said the work requirements are working, putting more people to work and giving them real wages.
Delegate Sobonya (R-Cabell) asked Mr. Samples if food stamps from West Virginia had been used in Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. He confirmed that there had been.
The bill was amended to make clear that work training or volunteering would count toward the work hours requirement and to implement the program fully by October 1, 2020. The amendment was attempted to be amended by Delegate Baldwin (D-Greenbrier) to make sure the able bodied are the only ones to apply for the work requirements. The amendment to the amendment was rejected. The amendment was adopted.
Delegate Pushkin moved to amend the bill. His amendment was rejected.
Delegate Longstreth (D-Marion) moved to amend the bill as well. Her amendments were also rejected besides one to make it so people didn’t have to reply to a notice in writing.
The bill was reported to the House floor with the recommendation that it pass.
