COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) -- Preventing and deterring fraud is at the center of a new proposal by three Ohio lawmakers and the state Auditor.
The four men presented their plans at the Statehouse Wednesday. They want to add a public assistance recipient's photo to the front of the debit card they're issued from which to deduct benefits.
State Auditor Dave Yost is one big supporter of the idea. His office last year conducted an audit of the Ohio public assistance system.
"Right now, the process allows for a designated beneficiary. You can pick your son or your sister, or a caregiver that can go and exercise your benefits. What we'd like to see is cards issued for those designated folks, in the long run," Yost said.
"This is one of the ways that the drug industry is able to prosper," State Rep. Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, said. "Stealing is bad. Stealing from poor people who need government assistance is worse," he added.
State Senator Larry Obhof, who was elected Senate President at the beginning of 2017, also is in favor of the plan.
"This is about protecting the legitimacy of the program. SNAP serves a very valuable function," Obhof said.
Obhof is a Medina Republican.Ohio's SNAP program is a $2.5-billion dollar fund.