SB 912

This bill adds to prohibited conduct related to Medical Assistance benefits

knowingly failing to accept an offer of legal, paid employment and knowingly failing

to accept an increase in paid work hours or wages to maintain eligibility for Medical

Assistance benefits. A person who works 40 hours per week does not violate the bill's

requirement by refusing to accept work hours in excess of 40 hours per week. The

bill applies to any able-bodied adult without dependents who is between the ages of

18 and 65, not determined to be physically or mentally unfit for employment, not

pregnant or within 6 months postpartum, not a full-time student, and not a

caregiver of a child who is under the age of 13 or, if the child is disabled, under the

age of 19. An able-bodied adult without dependents who commits the conduct

prohibited by the bill is ineligible for Medical Assistance benefits for six months

following the Department of Health Services discovering the violation.

Current law may subject a person to a forfeiture of at least $100 but not more

than $15,000 for each instance of the following conduct: knowingly making or

causing to be made any false statement or representation of a material fact used in

determining rights to a Medical Assistance benefit or payment or in any application

for a Medical Assistance benefit or payment or knowingly concealing or failing to

disclose any event the person knows affects a right to a Medical Assistance benefit

or payment. Current law also applies criminal penalties to certain violations related

to public assistance and Medical Assistance. These forfeitures and criminal

penalties do not apply to the conduct prohibited in the bill.