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Committee introduces RS 31795 to let health agency seek tax data for benefits-fraud probes
Summary
At a Health and Welfare Committee meeting, Jared Larson, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Chief at the Department of Health and Welfare, asked the committee to introduce RS 31795, a proposed change that would authorize the department to enter a memorandum of understanding with the State Tax Commission to receive tax information for suspected benefits-fraud investigations.
At a Health and Welfare Committee meeting, Jared Larson, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Chief at the Department of Health and Welfare, asked the committee to introduce RS 31795, a proposed change that would authorize the department to enter a memorandum of understanding with the State Tax Commission to receive tax information for suspected benefits-fraud investigations.
Larson told the committee the change is intended to simplify investigations into suspected fraudulent receipt of benefits. “Currently, the department uses subpoenas for bank records to ascertain when it has suspicion of fraud,” Larson said, adding that subpoenas “are a pretty intrusive process that goes into great detail about how people use their money.” He said subpoenas are also not always binding on out-of-state financial institutions and that tax records showing adjusted gross income would relieve investigatory burden. “The Tax Commission does not have any objection to this,” Larson said, and he told members the department has been developing the proposal for about two years.
The committee moved to introduce the RS. Representative Redmond moved to introduce RS 31,795 and Representative Wheeler seconded. The committee approved introduction by voice vote; the clerk recorded the motion as passed and RS 31,795 was introduced. Committee members noted a few typographical and grammatical corrections to the draft; Larson said he would note and correct the typo mentioned. Representative Rubel raised a point of order about whether a correction required a separate motion; the chair advised that the statement of purpose (SOP) language can be edited at any time.
No formal hearing on the bill occurred during the meeting and no public testimony was recorded. The only formal action taken was the motion to introduce RS 31,795; details about subsequent hearings, how tax data would be accessed under any finalized MOU, and any limits or safeguards on use of tax data were not specified during the session. The committee adjourned after the vote.
The Department of Health and Welfare and the State Tax Commission will be the principal agencies involved if the RS is printed and scheduled for hearings.
