California Dem lawmakers proposes bill to decriminalize welfare fraud below $25K over administrative errors
A proposed bill in California aims to decriminalize welfare fraud under $25,000 if it results from administrative errors. Introduced by State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Senate Bill 560 seeks to eliminate criminal penalties for welfare fraud under a certain threshold to prevent unnecessary felony charges for minor mistakes. The bill proposes that most overpayment cases be resolved administratively, allowing counties to hold individuals accountable without resorting to criminalization. This legislative move intends to prevent families from being trapped in poverty due to unintentional errors and to address welfare fraud cases more humanely. The bill is scheduled for a hearing and would require county agencies to identify if errors in the Statewide Automated Welfare System led to unauthorized benefits.
State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas has introduced Senate Bill 560, which proposes eliminating criminal penalties for welfare fraud under $25,000 if it stems from simple administrative errors.
The bill aims to prevent families from facing felony charges for minor paperwork mistakes, maintaining that these errors should not lead to severe legal consequences.
Senate Bill 560 suggests a more humane approach by resolving overpayment cases administratively, ensuring accountability without criminalizing individuals for poverty-related issues.
The legislation requires county agencies to determine if welfare benefits were mistakenly authorized due to errors in the Statewide Automated Welfare System, CalSAWS.
In Los Angeles County, welfare fraud investigations reveal that a significant number of cases involve unreported income or incorrect reporting of household members.
Annually, around 5,000 to 8,000 cases of welfare fraud are identified, with a small percentage resulting in prosecution and conviction by the district attorney's office.
The bill's objective is to raise the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions, keeping families out of the criminal justice system for administrative errors, and is set for a hearing on May 5.