ANTI-WELFARE FRAUD BILL

Gov. Wolf signs the measure, but critics say it will hurt poor.

Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a bill into law that supporters say will deter fraud in public assistance programs but that critics say will hurt the poor and do little to prevent fraud.

Among the changes, the legislation will impose bans on welfare benefits for recipients with certain drug-related convictions, lower the threshold for what is considered welfare fraud, and charge a $100 replacement fee the second time a person loses an EBT card — the electronic card used by food stamp and cash assistance recipients.

The legislation passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate with bipartisan support, and Senate Bill 6 was signed into law Wednesday by Mr. Wolf, a Democrat.

“It’s gratifying to see Governor Wolf recognize that limited resources for public assistance should not be given to drug kingpins, unregistered sex offenders, and others who abuse the system,” bill sponsor state Sen. Mike Regan, R-York, said in a statement.

In a letter about the bill that Mr. Wolf sent to the General Assembly, he said he is “strongly opposed to bills that make it harder for eligible Pennsylvanians to access various forms of public benefits.”

He had opposed the bill as it moved through the Senate, though it was amended in the

House to ensure that it complies with federal regulations.

“To the extent a provision of the bill goes beyond the scope allowable by federal law, implementation of those requirements cannot move forward,” Mr. Wolf wrote.

That appears to be a reference to the $100 fee the bill would impose the second and subsequent time a recipient loses an EBT card. Under the new law, it costs $5 to replace the first lost card.

Federal regulations state that a recipient may be charged only the replacement cost of the card, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services. The agency said it already monitors card replacement requests and will forward cases where potential fraud is a concern to the state inspector general.

Just Harvest, an antipoverty advocacy group, said it was disappointed Mr. Wolf had signed the bill.

“A few reasonable provisions contained in this bill are already the law of the land, so a state law is unnecessary,” public policy advocate Ann Sanders said. “The rest of the bill is nothing more than an effort to stereotype and stigmatize people in poverty as lawbreakers. We have seen over and over the cumulative impact of these very toxic attacks, chipping away at benefits and increasing stigma.”