The Pennsylvania Senate has already passed Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), a cruel, administratively costly, and counterproductive attack on low-income Pennsylvanians. The “Public Assistance Integrity Act (PAIA)” now heads to the PA House of Representatives, and we need your help to prevent its passage!
Among its damaging provisions, SB 6 increases the cost of replacement EBT cards (electronic benefits transfer cards through which participants spend SNAP benefits), and imposes a punitive $100 fee if a second replacement card is needed. This $100 fee is exorbitant, will be out of reach for many and will cause deprivation to entire families, children included. By way of comparison – Pennsylvania charges just a $6 fee for a replacement vehicle registration!
SB 6 also forces DHS caseworkers to check the fair market value of every SNAP participant’s car as a requirement for assistance, paying heed to the unfounded myth that poor people drive high value cars. At a time when the budget for casework staff is being cut, adding red tape will only serve to slow their ability to connect eligible families to the benefits they need in a timely manner.
Phone calls are needed now! Find contact information for your PA Representative at http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/index.cfm#address.
Sample script: “I am calling to urge Representative _____________ to oppose SB6, as it is harmful, counterproductive, and will have a ripple effect upon Pennsylvania’s low-income families who need SNAP benefits to help put food on the table.”
Click here for more details about the bill from our friends at Community Legal Services and Women’s Law Project.
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