Bills target funding for vacant state jobs, launch new inquiries of food stamp fraud
BY: TIM CARPENTER
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Cautionary warnings from Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher about pitfalls of three budget-related bills didn’t soften resolve of Senate Republicans eager to pursue their vision of state government efficiency.
The GOP majority on the Senate Government Efficiency Committee voted last week to present the full Senate with bills deleting money for state jobs vacant more than 180 days, prohibiting state agencies from enhancing public assistance without legislative permission, and creating a new layer of state-coordinated investigation into food stamp fraud.
Holscher, of Overland Park, appeared the most skeptical about Senate Bill 85, which directed the Kansas Department for Children and Families, or DCF, to redouble reviews of state and federal information to search for Kansas families trying to exploit the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, has been one of the most effective U.S. anti-hunger programs since created in the 1960s.
“I have huge concerns with this bill,” Holscher said. “We’d be reverifying information that has already been verified. We are supposed to be working in the name of government efficiency, and this makes government bigger and adds more red tape.”
DCF’s fraud investigation office has more than a dozen investigators assigned to detecting, preventing and prosecuting welfare fraud in all public assistant programs, including those related to food, child care and medical assistance.
One estimate indicated addition of this new SNAP oversight program could cost the state $9 million to $10.5 million annually and require the hiring of 110 additional state personnel.
‘True need’
The federal government covers 100% of SNAP benefits to households, while the federal and state government share administrative costs. In 2023, SNAP benefitted 200,000 Kansans at a federal cost of more than $500 million.
Under the bill, information about DCF investigations and findings of noncompliance would be published quarterly on the state agency’s website.
Steven Greene, the Kansas-based lobbyist with Opportunity Solutions Project, urged the committee to continue tightening food stamp allocations.
Greene said it was essential Kansas require more frequent data cross-checks of food stamp enrollment against death, lottery and incarceration records as well as changes in residency.
“Kansas can strengthen its safety net and remove ineligible individuals, bringing the focus back to those with a true need,” he said. “When someone wins the lottery, they should no longer collect food stamps. And, when someone moves to another state, they should stop receiving benefits from that state.”
The Florida-based Opportunity Solutions Project is associated with conservative groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council, Cato Institute and State Policy Network through affiliation with the Foundation for Government Accountability.
Bottleneck, red tape?
The GOP-led Senate committee endorsed Senate Bill 161, which would mandate legislative approval prior to a state agency seeking or implementing any public assistance program created by the federal government that expanded eligibility in Kansas or cost to the state.
Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, said the bill would address complaints that state officials in the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly sought to press ahead with controversial reforms to programs for people with disabilities. Some disability advocates were distressed about potential changes to programs for intellectual or developmentally disabled Kansans and took their complaints to legislators.
“Changes were being proposed … without adequate input,” Thompson said.
The bill could interfere with state agencies trying to adjust services to comply with federal law. For example, Kansas’ $3.7 billion Medicaid program could be out of compliance with federal directives if it didn’t adjust payment rates in a timely manner, given that any net increase in cost without legislative consent would be blocked.
“This is going to create bottlenecks by adding more red tape, which does not feel very efficient,” Holscher said.
Opponent to the bill included the Alliance for Healthy Kansas, Disability Rights Center of Kansas, KanCare Advocates Network, Kansas Action for Children as well as of Harvesters Community Food Network, Kansas Food Bank and Second Harvest Community Food Bank.
Beauty of the process
The Senate committee approved Senate Bill 99 to strip state funding for full-time jobs still vacant after 180 days. On July 1, vacant positions would be kept on the books without a state appropriation attached. The Legislature or a council of state lawmakers that handled business when the House and Senate weren’t in session would decide whether to issue funding for each position.
Questions were raised about the bill because of difficulties Attorney General Kris Kobach has had in hiring attorneys. The committee debated but set aside an amendment from Sen. Larry Alley, R-Winfield, that attempted to help Kobach.
“I appreciate what you’re attempting to do,” said Sen. Michael Murphy, a Sylvia Republican. “As confused as we are … I’m afraid when the implementation comes it will be equally confusing, if not more so.”
Sen. Adam Thomas, the Olathe Republican who introduced the bill, said there was plenty of time to address flaws in the personnel legislation.
“The beauty of what we do is it doesn’t go from committee to the governor. We can amend it on the Senate floor,” Thomas said.
Holscher, who registered apprehension about this bill as well, said cutting off funding for vacancies didn’t help any state agency’s ability to fill vacancies.
“This potentially creates an even worse situation,” she said.