The proposed bill, General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 168, aims to enhance the integrity of public assistance programs by mandating the Department of Social Services to conduct annual audits specifically targeting potential fraud and the repeated out-of-state use of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. This initiative is intended to reduce the risk of fraudulent activities within the distribution of public assistance benefits.

To implement this change, the bill proposes an amendment to title 17b of the general statutes, inserting a requirement for these annual audits. There are no deletions from current law noted in the text of the bill. The overall goal is to strengthen oversight and ensure that public assistance benefits are distributed fairly and appropriately.