PRINTER'S NO. 307
No. 23 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, PLATTS, NICKOL AND SAYLOR, JANUARY 25, 1995
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JANUARY 25, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing Congress to pass Senate Bill No. 131, which
2 reverses the extension of Regulation E to electronic benefit
3 transfer programs.
4 WHEREAS, The welfare benefits system is rife with
5 inefficiencies and its administrative costs are excessive; and
6 WHEREAS, Welfare recipients are caused an extreme disservice
7 by the inefficiency of the current system; and
8 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has successfully run an electronic
9 benefits transfer system in a pilot project form for the last
10 five years, reducing the inefficiency of the current welfare
11 system in the pilot areas; and
12 WHEREAS, The Federal Reserve Board has extended the
13 enforcement of Regulation E to cover electronic welfare benefit
14 transfer systems; and
15 WHEREAS, Regulation E forces the provider of the electronic
16 benefit transfer debit card to be liable for all but $50 in
17 cases of lost or stolen cards if the recipient notifies the
18 provider within two days; and
1 WHEREAS, The result of Regulation E has been to make it
2 extremely difficult for this Commonwealth or any other state to
3 effectively and efficiently operate a statewide electronic
4 welfare benefits transfer system; and
5 WHEREAS, United States Senator Joseph Lieberman, along with
6 bipartisan support, has introduced legislation, Senate Bill No.
7 131 to reverse the extension of Regulation E to electronic
8 benefit transfer programs; therefore be it
9 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
10 Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to pass Senate Bill No. 131,
11 which reverses the extension of Regulation E to electronic
12 benefit transfer programs; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
14 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
15 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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