[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  THE FOOD STAMP INTEGRITY ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                           HON. E de la GARZA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 1995
  Mr. de la GARZA. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing the Food Stamp 
Program Integrity Act of 1995. This bill is a comprehensive package of 
reforms, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, targeting 
fraud and abuse in the Food Stamp Program. It will allow USDA to focus 
its resources on the small number of retailers who abuse their 
privilege of participating in the Food Stamp Program. It will expand 
the current authority of USDA to screen retailers when they apply to 
participate in the Food Stamp Program, and enhance penalties when 
retailers defraud the program. It will expand forfeiture authority to 
allow the seizure of retailer property used or derived from illegal 
food stamp trafficking. It will increase access to retailer documents 
to verify the legitimacy of the stores applying to participate in the 
program.
  I believe that this bill can be a vehicle to fashion a program 
integrity title to food stamp welfare reform, which will be marked up 
at the Agriculture Committee next week.


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