SB152 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Arthur OrrDick BrewbakerGerald O. DialBryan TaylorJerry L. Fielding

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Public assistance, fraud in obtaining, crime established, penalties, theft of services, knowledge requirement deleted, Sec. 13A-8-10 am'd.

Description

Existing law prohibits the use of fraudulent means to establish eligibility for public housing and Medicaid.

This bill would prohibit certain fraudulent conduct in obtaining public assistance under any state or federally funded public assistance program and would provide penalties.

Under existing law, a person commits the crime of theft of services, if he or she intentionally obtains services, known by him or her to be available only for compensation, by deception, threat, false token, or other means to avoid payment for the services.

This bill would remove the requirement that the person committing the crime knew the services were available only for compensation.

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose.

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment.

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Subjects

Crimes and Offenses