98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB4453

 

Introduced , by Rep. John M. Cabello

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
305 ILCS 5/8A-4B new
305 ILCS 5/8A-5A  from Ch. 23, par. 8A-5A
305 ILCS 5/8A-6  from Ch. 23, par. 8A-6

    Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that any person who possesses for an unlawful purpose another person's Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT) or LINK card in order to use or transfer in any manner not authorized by law or the rules and regulations of the Department of Human Services the cash assistance benefits held on that EBT or LINK card is guilty of a violation and shall be subject to certain penalties established under the Code. Effective immediately.


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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
5changing Sections 8A-5A and 8A-6 and by adding Section 8A-4B as
6follows:
 
7    (305 ILCS 5/8A-4B new)
8    Sec. 8A-4B. Penalty for unauthorized possession and use of
9cash benefits. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
10contrary, any person who possesses for an unlawful purpose
11another person's Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT) or LINK
12card in order to use or transfer in any manner not authorized
13by law or the rules and regulations of the Department of Human
14Services the cash assistance benefits held on that EBT or LINK
15card is guilty of a violation of this Article and shall be
16subject to the penalties established under Section 8A-6.
 
17    (305 ILCS 5/8A-5A)  (from Ch. 23, par. 8A-5A)
18    Sec. 8A-5A. Unauthorized possession of identification
19document. Any person who possesses for an unlawful purpose
20another person's identification document issued by the
21Illinois Department shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. For
22purposes of this Section, "identification document" includes

 

 

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1but is not limited to an authorization to participate in the
2federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
3(formerly the Food Stamp Program) food stamp program or the
4federal surplus food commodities program, or a card or other
5document which identifies a person as being entitled to public
6aid, including cash assistance, under this Code.
7(Source: P.A. 86-1012.)
 
8    (305 ILCS 5/8A-6)  (from Ch. 23, par. 8A-6)
9    Sec. 8A-6. Classification of violations.
10    (a) Any person, firm, corporation, association, agency,
11institution or other legal entity that has been found by a
12court to have engaged in an act, practice or course of conduct
13declared unlawful under Sections 8A-2 through 8A-5 or Section
148A-13 or 8A-14 where:
15        (1) the total amount of money involved in the
16    violation, including the monetary value of cash assistance
17    benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps)
18    food stamps and the value of commodities, is less than
19    $150, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor;
20        (2) the total amount of money involved in the
21    violation, including the monetary value of cash assistance
22    benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps)
23    food stamps and the value of commodities, is $150 or more
24    but less than $1,000, shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony;
25        (3) the total amount of money involved in the

 

 

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1    violation, including the monetary value of cash assistance
2    benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps)
3    food stamps and the value of commodities, is $1,000 or more
4    but less than $5,000, shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony;
5        (4) the total amount of money involved in the
6    violation, including the monetary value of cash assistance
7    benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps)
8    food stamps and the value of commodities, is $5,000 or more
9    but less than $10,000, shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony;
10    or
11        (5) the total amount of money involved in the
12    violation, including the monetary value of cash assistance
13    benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps)
14    food stamps and the value of commodities, is $10,000 or
15    more, shall be guilty of a Class 1 felony and,
16    notwithstanding the provisions of Section 8A-8 except for
17    Subsection (c) of Section 8A-8, shall be ineligible for
18    financial aid under this Article for a period of two years
19    following conviction or until the total amount of money,
20    including the value of federal food stamps, is repaid,
21    whichever first occurs.
22    (b) Any person, firm, corporation, association, agency,
23institution or other legal entity that commits a subsequent
24violation of any of the provisions of Sections 8A-2 through
258A-5 and:
26        (1) the total amount of money involved in the

 

 

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1    subsequent violation, including the monetary value of cash
2    assistance benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly
3    food stamps) food stamps and the value of commodities, is
4    less than $150, shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony;
5        (2) the total amount of money involved in the
6    subsequent violation, including the monetary value of cash
7    assistance benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly
8    food stamps) food stamps and the value of commodities, is
9    $150 or more but less than $1,000, shall be guilty of a
10    Class 3 felony;
11        (3) the total amount of money involved in the
12    subsequent violation, including the monetary value of cash
13    assistance benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly
14    food stamps) food stamps and the value of commodities, is
15    $1,000 or more but less than $5,000, shall be guilty of a
16    Class 2 felony;
17        (4) the total amount of money involved in the
18    subsequent violation, including the monetary value of cash
19    assistance benefits or federal SNAP benefits (formerly
20    food stamps) food stamps and the value of commodities, is
21    $5,000 or more but less than $10,000, shall be guilty of a
22    Class 1 felony.
23    (c) For purposes of determining the classification of
24offense under this Section, all of the money received as a
25result of the unlawful act, practice or course of conduct can
26be accumulated.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 90-538, eff. 12-1-97.)
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.