Republican lawmaker pushes upfront ID rules for Michigan public assistance

Progress of HB 5145

As policymakers and state agencies work to comply with new federal requirements for a variety of public benefits, a Republican lawmaker from Howell is pushing for changes to the application process. 

State Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) advocated for his House Bill 5145 during a meeting of the House Government Operations Committee on Thursday, arguing that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services should require proof of identity, income and residency up front. 

“When you open a bank account, you’re asked for identification,” Woolford told the committee. “When you apply for a mortgage, you have to verify your income. When you get a driver’s license, you have to prove your residency. And when you enroll your child into school, documentation is required. Even Costco won’t let you walk in and shop without checking your membership card and your photo, and that’s to spend money in their store, not to give you money.”

Woolford previously pressed the department on the public benefit application process in March during a meeting of his House Oversight Subcommittee on State and Local Public Assistance Programs, challenging its policy of allowing individuals to self-attest on factors determining their eligibility. 

“That approach may make the system easier to access in that moment, but it also raises some pretty basic questions, and that is are we doing enough on the front end to make sure that this information coming in is accurate before the benefits are approved?” Woolford inquired during the subcommittee’s March 12 meeting.

While the Department of Health and Human Services assured the subcommittee that it works to verify individuals’ eligibility on the back end of the process, Woolford contended on Thursday that it’s far more effective to verify identity and eligibility up front.

With the federal government requiring states to reduce their payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, below 6% or pay a greater percentage of the program’s administrative costs, Woolford argued the state could face additional costs if it does not take further steps to reduce overpayments and underpayments.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan’s SNAP payment error rate for the 2024 fiscal year was 9.53%.

The committee’s vice chair, Minority Floor Leader John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), asked Woolford whether DHHS was in compliance with federal standards for verifying eligibility for services. Woolford said that federal standards act as a floor, and that the state can add to those requirements.

While testifying before Woolford’s House subcommittee, David Knezek, the department’s chief operating officer, noted that federal rules only require states to collect a person’s name, address and signature in order to begin the application process. 

“That does not mean that you are going to get benefits simply because you give those three pieces of information to us. That is the federally required information that we need in order to immediately accept an application,” Knezek said, emphasizing that there is an intensive verification process that takes place before benefits are issued.

Members of the committee voted 3-2, with Republican members in support, to refer the legislation for a full vote of the House.

Ahead of the vote, MDHHS submitted a card to the committee noting its opposition to the bill. Committee Clerk Edward Sleeper told Michigan Advance the department had not submitted written testimony on its opposition.