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An Act To Restrict Cash Access for Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §21, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2011, c. 687, §3, is further amended to read:
 
4. Electronic benefits transfer system or EBT.   "Electronic benefits transfer system" or "EBT" means a system for the delivery of benefits to recipients by means of credit or debit card services, automated teller machines, point of sale devices or access to online systems for the withdrawal of funds or the processing of a payment for merchandise or a service.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §23, sub-§§1-A and 1-B  are enacted to read:
 
1-A.  Cash withdrawals prohibited.     A recipient may not redeem benefits received through the EBT system for cash.
 
1-B.  Point of sale restrictions.     The department by rule shall establish a system to electronically block the purchase through the EBT system of the products and services listed in this section and in section 3763, subsection 11 at the point of sale.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that benefits received through the electronic benefits transfer system may be redeemed only through purchase by electronic transfer and may not be redeemed for cash. This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a rule to create a system that would limit purchases at the point of sale to those goods and services allowed by law.