ALBANY – The State Senate on Tuesday passed a bill cracking down on what sponsors are calling welfare abuse. The measure would disallow the use of Electronic Cash Benefit cards for the purchase of cigarettes, alcohol, lottery tickets and other “vice” products. Welfare recipients would also be unable to use their EBT cards to get cash at ATMs located at places like strip clubs or bars.
The final vote on the measure was 53-4 vote and marked the third straight year the measure has passed in the Republican-led Senate, but it has gone nowhere in the Democrat-dominated State Assembly.
However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo this year is proposing a similar measure in his budget plan. Under that approach, the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance would impose the tougher regulations on EBTs administratively.
It remained unclear, though whether the Senate’s passage of the bill or Cuomo’s budget proposal would suffice to keep the federal money flowing, or whether the Assembly would have to pass a bill as well.
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