Perry wants to prevent welfare dollars from going to tattoos, gambling or ...
22.02.12
Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, wants to prevent certain state welfare dollars from being spent on tattoos, lottery tickets, cigarettes, alcohol or adult entertainment.
Perry introduced a bill Thursday in the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee to prevent that type of thing from happening and the measure will receive a formal hearing next week.
The legislation wouldn’t apply to all welfare programs administered by the state, but would rather focus solely on the Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho (TAFI). This program is unlike most other welfare programs in that recipients are given cash to covers needs, which is put on state-issued debit cards also used for food stamps.
TAFI has a 24-month lifetime limit for recipients and the maximum benefit is $309 per month. Recipients are required to participate in certain activities to qualify, including work searches and trainings.
The program is administered by the state, but the money is ultimately provided by the federal government through a block grant.
Source: IdahoReporter.com