The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Tuesday approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) to limit the ability of welfare applicants to shop for higher benefit amounts in neighboring counties.

The legislation would require the Department of Public Welfare to base benefit amounts on an applicant's county of permanent legal residence, according to Quigley.

From a Quigley press release:

"For the past eight years our welfare system has been a leaky faucet, but House Republicans are getting out the wrench and turning off the tap," said Quigley. "Our taxpayers could never afford this lack of oversight into state funds, but especially during this budget crisis, it is imperative that we account for every single dollar the hard-working citizens of this Commonwealth send to state government."

Quigley's House Bill 1261 was introduced as part of the House Republican's WelFAIR package, which will restore fairness, accountability, integrity and responsibility to welfare programs. Other bills in the package include:

· House Bill 1297, which would institute drug testing for applicants convicted of a drug felony within the past five years.

· House Bill 1251, which would increase penalties for welfare fraud.

· House Bill 1254, which would prohibit the purchase of tobacco products with Access cards.

· House Bill 392, which would require photo identification on welfare benefit cards.

· House Bill 960, which would create an Income Eligibility Verification System.

· House Bill 1301, which would implement new guidelines and restrictions on the existing Medical Assistance Transportation Program.

· House Bill 1312, which would assist people in moving from welfare to work with job transition loans, rather than the current grant program.

"Public funds should be held to the highest scrutiny and strictest standards – that is what our taxpayers deserve," said Quigley. "We must ensure that the people using Access cards are those for whom benefits are intended, that the people receiving assistance meet all eligibility requirements and that taxpayer dollars are not being spent to purchase drugs or tobacco. I am proud to be a part of this effort, and I am hopeful these bills will make their way to the governor's desk soon."

House Bill 1261 will now go to the Senate for consideration. The House also approved House Bills 960 and 1251.

More information about Quigley and the WelFAIR package are available at RepQuigley.com