H251 • 2025

An Act requiring an audit to review the utilization of welfare benefits out-of-state

Children

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
Last action: 2025-12-31
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H4883
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act requiring an audit to review the utilization of welfare benefits out-of-state

An Act requiring an audit to review the utilization of welfare benefits out-of-state By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act requiring an audit to review the utilization of welfare benefits out-of-state By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
251) of Bradley H.
Jones, Jr., and others that the Office of the State Auditor annually conduct an audit of and report on the Department of Transitional Assistance.
Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-12-31 House
Accompanied a study order, see H4883
2025-09-05 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 09/16/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act requiring an audit to review the utilization of welfare benefits out-of-state
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 251) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others that the Office of the State Auditor annually conduct an audit of and report on the Department of Transitional Assistance. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.251

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the office of the state auditor shall conduct an annual audit of the department of transitional assistance. The scope of the audit shall include a review of the following information from the previous fiscal year: the processes and internal controls that the department uses to verify and issue benefits to eligible recipients; how many individuals currently hold EBT cards; how many of those with cards are actively receiving benefits; the total amount of benefits that have been utilized out-of-state; how frequently benefits are used out-of-state; a list of locations where benefits are being spent out of state; and a breakdown of the demographic information of those receiving benefits.

SECTION 2. The office of the state auditor shall submit an annual report with its findings no later than January 1st each year, including any recommendations for how the department of transitional assistance can improve its processes to help detect and reduce potential recipient and retailer fraud, waste, or abuse, including improper use of benefits out-of-state. Additionally, the report shall examine factors that may be driving increased enrollment for benefits, and what projected fiscal and operational challenges the department of transitional assistance may face as a result.

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