SACRAMENTO, CA - A bill that has been proposed by a Democratic lawmaker would decriminalize welfare fraud under $25,000 in the state of California if it can be proven that the benefits were authorized as a result of an administrative error.
According to Fox News, California state Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas introduced SB 560, which would delete criminal penalties for welfare fraud below $25,000, and delete a provision for criminal penalties for any attempt at welfare fraud below $950. The legislation was introduced in February.
The Senator said in a statement, "California's safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty. Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistakes can lead to felony charges that tear families apart, even when there's not intent to deceive." She said that the bill "offers a smarter, more humane approach by allowing counties to resolve most overpayment cases administratively, holding people accountable without criminalizing poverty".
The bill would require a county agency to determine whether the welfare benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS). The bill states it would prohibit a person from being subject to criminal prosecution in certain instances for an overpayment or over issuance of benefits.
In an Instagram post on April 8th, Smallwood-Cuevas said, "This bill is about keeping families out of the criminal justice system from making administrative errors on raising the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions".
According to the California Department of Social Services, most welfare fraud occurs when the reported absent parent is actually living in the home, unreported income, using an ineligible child, or children not living in the home who are part of the recipient's address. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Social Services said that field investigators handle 15,000 to 20,000 fraud cases or referrals annually.
Of those, investigators find fraud in around 5,000 to 8,000 cases. Of that, 200 cases are sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and 95 percent will end in a conviction. SB 560 is set for a hearing on May 5th.
According to Breitbart, California has been issuing EBT cards with a security chip to help prevent thieves from targeting people who rely on benefits.
However, fraud investigators who work inside California's county welfare offices said that the card probably won't make much of a dent, saying that the state should have rolled out a security chip and tap-to-pay years ago. They said that even these new cards still contain technology outdated by several decades. Over the last two full calendar years, San Diego County officials said that criminals stole at least $34.6 million from EBT cards.
According to Fox News, California state Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas introduced SB 560, which would delete criminal penalties for welfare fraud below $25,000, and delete a provision for criminal penalties for any attempt at welfare fraud below $950. The legislation was introduced in February.
The Senator said in a statement, "California's safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty. Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistakes can lead to felony charges that tear families apart, even when there's not intent to deceive." She said that the bill "offers a smarter, more humane approach by allowing counties to resolve most overpayment cases administratively, holding people accountable without criminalizing poverty".
The bill would require a county agency to determine whether the welfare benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS). The bill states it would prohibit a person from being subject to criminal prosecution in certain instances for an overpayment or over issuance of benefits.
In an Instagram post on April 8th, Smallwood-Cuevas said, "This bill is about keeping families out of the criminal justice system from making administrative errors on raising the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions".
According to the California Department of Social Services, most welfare fraud occurs when the reported absent parent is actually living in the home, unreported income, using an ineligible child, or children not living in the home who are part of the recipient's address. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Social Services said that field investigators handle 15,000 to 20,000 fraud cases or referrals annually.
Of those, investigators find fraud in around 5,000 to 8,000 cases. Of that, 200 cases are sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and 95 percent will end in a conviction. SB 560 is set for a hearing on May 5th.
According to Breitbart, California has been issuing EBT cards with a security chip to help prevent thieves from targeting people who rely on benefits.
However, fraud investigators who work inside California's county welfare offices said that the card probably won't make much of a dent, saying that the state should have rolled out a security chip and tap-to-pay years ago. They said that even these new cards still contain technology outdated by several decades. Over the last two full calendar years, San Diego County officials said that criminals stole at least $34.6 million from EBT cards.
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Comments
2025-05-05T19:37-0400 | Comment by: Chris
Is there anything California won't legalize? They support child prostitution, illegal aliens, and theft of taxpayer monies via fraud. Disgusting.
2025-05-05T22:36-0400 | Comment by: James
America has to fix our system that allows these criminals and lowlifes to get elected or appointed!!!
2025-05-07T16:01-0400 | Comment by: Rick
If it passes, the Federal Government should suspend all welfare funds to the state of Kalifornia until it shows that it will not allow the theft of the funds by those not qualifying for them. Also, the $25,000 amount covers employees who are either idiots or complicit in the fraud. Sounds like they should be fired and possibly prosecuted if it is shown they are complicit.