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DTA Immigration Verification

SECTION 182.   Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, to prevent fraud and misuse of public assistance benefits, the department of transitional assistance shall:

(1) consistent with federal and state law, require all applicants for benefits to declare in writing under penalty of perjury whether the individual is a citizen of the United States and if not whether the individual meets applicable immigration status requirements; provided, however, that noncitizens shall be required to provide documentation from the United States Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency or such other documents as the department determines constitutes reasonable evidence of required immigration status; provided further, that consistent with federal and state law, the state shall provide a reasonable opportunity to submit evidence of required immigration status and will not delay, deny, reduce or terminate benefits on the basis of immigration status until such verification is provided; provided further, that the department of transitional assistance shall use the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements or SAVE system to verify the immigration status of any noncitizen whose documentation includes an alien registration number to determine whether the individual meets noncitizen requirements for benefit eligibility purposes and shall verify the social security number of each individual seeking benefits, citizens as well as noncitizens, in accordance with procedures established by the Social Security Administration;

(2) implement data matching with the department of revenue, the department of children and families, the division of unemployment assistance and any other relevant state agencies to verify financial and categorical eligibility criteria;

(3) cooperate fully with the food and nutrition service of the United States Department of Agriculture in pursuing and prosecuting vendor fraud;

(4) refer all credible reports of fraud received from its fraud hotline or any other source to the bureau of special investigations for investigation in accordance with protocols for prioritizing cases;

(5) pursue, to the fullest extent possible, consistent with protocols for prioritizing cases, administrative disqualification penalties for instances of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and cash assistance fraud; and

(6) report annually to the senate and house committees on ways and means and the executive office for administration and finance the amount of money recovered by the department from those who received benefits fraudulently and the number of recipients who were issued partial or lifetime disqualifications.