[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6616627,"mediaKeyId","2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00","parentId",2851646,"title","Senate committee gives favorable report to bill requiring eligibility cross-checks for Medicaid and SNAP","audioSeconds",1303,"startMs",472000,"endMs",1775000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00&start=472&end=1775","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00/thumbnail_472000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6616627/Alabama/Senate-committee-gives-favorable-report-to-bill-requiring-eligibility-cross-checks-for-Medicaid-and-SNAP","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616627-0afe4604f64e5ff21205a4d19c5b9f16/orig.mp4?Expires=1770845890&Signature=MUZd1K3w4nChvJEg24~oHOY7gDRme1kJBbqpDP38gK-f43elnsi5hN1jBkBPpNeIsQHLUfzrkq7L0b5zf8Rsj1azoX8K7IaqpnY3vArlDeLGuQQNvXGiw5AiYVp5qXnOzksWtFtJx2oJ1fK~qRt~gJhtSd87hm8Tb62TyGlAi5qv0iOWj8j4yBFdIFgWJ88K2CTrfLxPowdLb~xLgdD5~-fKo4O61t2QFbioZQasrYJ7Y8ifGJL2qorUtH6-BI8m~I0mD~qIXF8iZOlquxQpr~3Ckj0TT0~6iWmNDWdxMe87atlVzJAo6sNkqWAMR17vWoE~ABZe5BLPwu7KqZpLAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama Senate Sessions","date","2025-04-02T17:54:57.497Z","article","A Senate committee on an unspecified date voted 11-3 to give a favorable report to a bill sponsored by Senator Orr that would require the Alabama Department of Human Resources and Medicaid eligibility staff to perform recurring database cross-checks of applicants and recipients of Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

The bill would not change eligibility categories or terms but would direct agencies to verify information provided by applicants against available databases and to recheck records at a stated frequency. Senator Orr said the measure is intended to “check what is represented by the applicant” and to perform cross-checks using databases other states already use.

Supporters at the public hearing said stricter verification can protect taxpayer dollars and reduce fraud. Opponents, including Carol Gunlock, senior policy analyst at Alabama Arise, and Linda Lee, executive director of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the bill would undermine presumptive eligibility for pregnant women and create harmful month-to-month “churn” on Medicaid and SNAP.

\"One of the things this bill does is it prohibits what's called presumptive eligibility for Medicaid,\" Carol Gunlock said during public testimony, arguing that the bill would negate recently passed measures to provide presumptive eligibility for pregnant women. Gunlock added that monthly rechecks could lead to beneficiaries being turned off and then back on benefits repeatedly.

Linda Lee said pediatricians’ practices rely on program stability. \"Fifty percent of Alabama's children are on Medicaid,\" Lee said. \"Gretel Felton who's the Deputy Commissioner over eligibility and her team do an excellent job in doing what they do.\" She warned that monthly churn would create “chaos” for clinicians who treat Medicaid patients if coverage repeatedly lapses.

Committee members pressed a mix of policy and practical questions. Several senators said they supported verifying eligibility but wanted changes to frequency and scope. Senator Stutz said he did not expect large numbers of beneficiaries to oscillate on and off the rolls repeatedly, while other senators asked for clearer fiscal and operational estimates from agency staff.

Senator Coleman told the committee that the Medicaid agency had provided an initial cost estimate for implementing parts of the proposals: $2,700,000 for Medicaid and a separate $12,700,000 estimate referenced in the hearing record. Coleman said she wanted to hear from eligibility officers at DHR before final action to understand current verification practices and staffing needs.

The committee recorded a roll-call vote on the motion to report the bill favorably. The clerk announced the tally as 11 yeas and 3 nays and reported the bill out of committee on a favorable report.

The bill's sponsor and several committee members said they are open to negotiations on the number of databases checked and the frequency of rechecks before the measure moves forward. The committee did not adopt a formal amendment on those points during the hearing.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted 11-3 to give the bill a favorable report; the clerk recorded the three no votes as Senator Coleman, Senator Coleman Madison and Senator Stewart. The motion to report was moved and seconded on the Senate floor record for the committee.

The committee indicated plans to continue discussions with DHR and Medicaid staff on verification frequency and administrative cost before the measure advances further.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee","oneSentenceSummary","A Senate committee on an unspecified date voted 11-3 to give a favorable report to a bill sponsored by Senator Orr that would require periodic database cross-checks of Medicaid and SNAP applicants and recipients.","taxTitle","Senate, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",62183,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6616620,"Committee reports post‑election audit bill favorably after debate on scope and cost",1270,3048000,4318000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00&start=3048&end=4318","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00/thumbnail_3048000.jpg","/articles/6616620/Alabama/Committee-reports-postelection-audit-bill-favorably-after-debate-on-scope-and-cost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616620-9bc1a53432c7c6e4fccd40cbdd9f8edc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770845890&Signature=YYdsLrSlDiCiyZc6r6gr095QKCRAetbFzjeGz3mOjJAFsLILC~cT2xKeZDZY53uzYWZCAjmNdy9CEoagVmLLFxygoAuMoK6ULefd3bN02HJcS-8tE-ba3Lv9vtltlHq7DrpYoVwGZrf0IF8bMGIf66VokjXZAyOcFlkuzgIVOeJUFoeeIIVzQ96XIj-jZOt3BnV79x5J0JOxlO3k38aCVu4sUn9Cl~Liz-fye0tNUH-JpGUF1cHJJeT6W6gfe2muhTcdwegbzKqJJFJP0Ozf3TTfyZRKioX0RlNtoRGhg-cbKx8Y8B7Ee8zv7kOE20gujDpDBL24zW6lFgZnMMvCFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A post‑election audit bill sponsored in the House as House Bill 30 was reported favorably by a Senate committee, which voted 9-5 after a public hearing in which election administrators, test‑lab staff and an election watcher offered competing views about the bill's value and scope.

Representative Wood, the House sponsor, told the committee the measure would not be a recount but a narrow, statistically limited audit meant to confirm that DS200 tabulators and the paper ballots they process are functioning correctly. \"The post election audit bill is not a recount,\" Representative Wood said, adding that the tabulators used to process paper ballots are more than 10 years old and that audits are recommended by the manufacturer.

Robert Garris, a former election manager for Lee County, testified in support and described problems found during a 2022 limited audit, saying the audit uncovered at least one instance of \"transposed votes\" in a hand count in one county. Garris said the bill would scale a previously limited framework to a statewide spot check of tabulators.

Opponents included Clay Parikh, who worked in voting system test labs, and Angela Shepherd, who described a county public testing episode. Parikh called the bill \"not an audit\" and \"a partial recount\" that is \"statistically insignificant,\" arguing the sample sizes in the draft bill would be too small to provide meaningful assurance. Shepherd said she brought a copied absentee ballot to a public logic-and-accuracy test that was accepted by a tabulator during testing, and that the episode raised concerns about the devices.

The committee considered and adopted a friendly amendment that adjusted the bill's timeframe to align probate judges' responsibilities with the post‑audit timeline. Representative Wood said the fiscal note for the state was $35,000. Several senators asked whether that figure represented a one‑time statewide cost or a per‑county cost; Representative Wood and senators debated the fiscal exposure and the staffing implications for probate offices.

Senators split over the appropriate balance of assurance and cost. Senator Stutz and others said the measure would be a starting point and could justify larger audits if problems were found; other senators questioned whether the narrow sample would reassure voters or simply stir controversy.

On the committee roll call, the bill received a favorable report by a 9-5 vote. The committee also recorded favorable action on the amendment separately before taking the final vote on the bill.","A House‑sponsored bill to require post‑election audits of tabulators received a favorable committee report after proponents cited past tabulator issues and opponents criticized the proposal as statistically insignificant and incomplete; the committee adopted a friendly amendment and recorded a 9-5 favorable vote.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6616622,"Committee gives favorable report to bill ending broad‑based categorical eligibility for SNAP",1276,1781000,3057000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00&start=1781&end=3057","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2851646-7d38a1da9ca702dee38de06edd353c00/thumbnail_1781000.jpg","/articles/6616622/Alabama/Committee-gives-favorable-report-to-bill-ending-broadbased-categorical-eligibility-for-SNAP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616622-4ca5c807c5c8cc76d268ebb0aefc6f09/orig.mp4?Expires=1770845890&Signature=e89fLnm0zNh2NSLLhfTbQGHVL2CYxwz3jzePVikZs0lrWnW7DOQ2F5LqIL6pOxIed~z8yFYjtGygTrlNq1kjwmK7kcUohzMPWMVoRrlQ5u3Pl8t8bwV306EqimYjy9D6tK~V40AlLlRH0byctEkeP64lbtdzVxW~ivjIbFZaDERq0yqjyZKYD73uvMJjNBKNWBtzIgX18cKI0zKGehHegu-UbCuDhg02aJr1wHI9RlAGXS8KopHmHdtP7YGjADoqcp2oiuT5REHJ2t28agoxZ0NVe3f5WsPxY4GZB~xtVmCC5Knh6LXBFojFGwTCC-XVYYNzbznNvGNCtei3fCB0Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Senate committee on an unspecified date voted 10-4 to give a favorable report to legislation sponsored by Senator Orr that would eliminate broad‑based categorical eligibility (BBCE) for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Alabama.

The bill would require that SNAP applicants be evaluated under the federal asset test instead of being automatically deemed eligible through a linked cash welfare benefit brochure, a practice known as BBCE. Senator Orr said the measure would close what he described as a loophole that allows applicants with assets above federal limits to receive SNAP in some states.

Opponents at the public hearing — including Carol Gunlock of Alabama Arise, April Hartsville of Voices for Alabama’s Children and Victor Odomo of Bread for the World — argued the change is premature, would raise state administrative costs and reduce federal benefit dollars flowing to Alabama. Gunlock told the panel that 43 or 44 states use BBCE and that administrative costs of stricter asset testing often exceed any savings because the state pays half the program’s administrative cost while the federal government pays most of the benefit cost.

\"The benefit cost is a percent federal. So we're gonna be spending state dollars to save federal dollars and not even getting a return on the investment,\" Carol Gunlock said. She also warned that federal regulations on assets have not been updated in decades and that reverting to the old asset test could disqualify low‑income households with modest belongings.

April Hartsville, representing Voices for Alabama’s Children, urged the committee to delay action until federal changes are clearer. \"We ask that you consider carrying this bill over or delaying its enactment until after the federal legislation is enacted and addresses this issue,\" Hartsville said, citing forthcoming federal proposals that could alter eligibility rules.

Victor Odomo, with Bread for the World and the Hunger Free Alabama coalition, said SNAP spending returns billions to Alabama and that most SNAP recipients access benefits via categorical eligibility linked to other federal programs. \"This is not a loophole — it is there under federal law and regulations; 40 states use it,\" Odomo said, and he urged the committee to study the local economic impacts before changing policy.

Senator Orr moved the measure for a favorable report and Senator Elliott seconded. Committee members raised questions about DHR operations, staffing, and the potential cost to the state of modifying eligibility processes. Senator Coleman asked for agency testimony to better understand verification and staffing implications.

A separate procedural motion to carry the bill over for additional study was made on the floor and failed; the committee then proceeded to a roll-call vote and reported the bill favorably by a 10-4 margin.

The recorded tally on the committee floor was 10 yeas and 4 nays. Several senators and witnesses asked the committee to hold further discussions with the Department of Human Resources, given an estimated fiscal note referenced in the hearing and pending federal rulemaking.

The committee did not adopt amendments on the floor; senators said they will continue conversations with agencies about the administrative burden, verification frequency and the expected federal changes.","A Senate committee voted to report favorably a bill by Senator Orr that would eliminate broad‑based categorical eligibility for SNAP in Alabama; supporters said the change would align state practice with federal asset tests, while opponents warned it would raise state administrative costs, reduce federal dollars to Alabama and harm food‑insecure","actionData","errors"]

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Senate committee gives favorable report to bill requiring eligibility cross-checks for Medicaid and SNAP

Committee reports post‑election audit bill favorably after debate on scope and cost

Committee gives favorable report to bill ending broad‑based categorical eligibility for SNAP