Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319s - Financial Assistance
Section 17b-97. (Formerly Sec. 17-83i). - Fraud in obtaining aid or food stamp or supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or in receiving payment. Penalties. Unlawful award of public assistance benefits.

(a) Any food stamps or supplemental nutrition assistance furnished or any sums paid to or on behalf of any person under the state supplement program, medical assistance program, temporary family assistance program, aid to families with dependent children program, state-administered general assistance program, food stamp program or supplemental nutrition assistance program as a result of any false statement, misrepresentation or concealment of or failure to disclose assets by him, or by any person legally liable for his support, may be recovered in an action brought by the state against such person or persons.

(b) Any person who, by means of an intentionally false statement or misrepresentation or by impersonation or other fraudulent act or device, obtains, or attempts to obtain, or aids or abets any person to obtain, any monetary award under the state supplement program, medical assistance program, temporary family assistance program, aid to families with dependent children program, state-administered general assistance program, food stamp program or supplemental nutrition assistance program to which he is not entitled; and any person who, with intent to defraud, buys or aids or abets in buying or in any way disposing of the property of a person receiving an award, and any person who, with intent to defraud, violates the provisions of section 17b-85 or any other provision of said programs shall be subject to the penalties for larceny under sections 53a-122 and 53a-123, depending on the amount involved. When a person receiving assistance is convicted of an offense involving an overpayment of public assistance under said sections, the Commissioner of Social Services may discontinue his award or take such other action as conforms to federal regulations.
(c) Repealed by P.A. 74-140, S. 3.
(d) Any person who, by means of an intentionally false statement or misrepresentation or by impersonation or other fraudulent act or device, obtains, or attempts to obtain, or aids or abets any person to obtain, or who knowingly uses, transfers, acquires, alters, or attempts to use, traffic in, forge or possess, any United States Department of Agriculture food coupon, food stamp coupon authorization to participate card, or Department of Social Services public assistance photographic identification card or electronically coded identification and debit card, shall be subject to the penalties for larceny under sections 53a-122 and 53a-123, depending on the amount involved.
(e) Any person having duties in the administration of a state or federally funded public assistance program who fraudulently misappropriates, attempts to misappropriate, or aids and abets in the misappropriation of any United States Department of Agriculture food coupon, food stamp coupon authorization to participate card, or Department of Social Services public assistance photographic identification card or electronically coded identification and debit card, shall be subject to the penalties for larceny under sections 53a-122 and 53a-123, depending on the amount involved and shall be subject to discipline or discharge by the commissioner.
(f) Any person having duties in the administration of a state or federally funded public assistance program who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by another, solicits, accepts or agrees to accept from another, any benefit for, because of or as consideration for, taking, or promising to take, action which results, or is intended to result, in the unlawful award, transfer or receipt of public assistance benefits or United States Department of Agriculture food stamp or supplemental nutrition assistance benefits shall be subject to the penalty provided for bribe receiving under section 53a-148 and shall be subject to discipline or discharge by the commissioner.
(1969, P.A. 730, S. 25; P.A. 73-48; 73-389; P.A. 74-140, S. 1, 3; 74-338, S. 84, 94; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; 75-558, S. 1; P.A. 77-516; 77-614, S. 608, 610; P.A. 79-146, S. 2; P.A. 84-59, S. 1; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 95-356, S. 1; P.A. 96-169, S. 17; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 43, 165; P.A. 09-9, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 73-48 added Subsec. (c) re judgments against person convicted of violation of law re public assistance; P.A. 73-389 specified laws for which provisions are applicable in Subsec. (b), deleting reference to “laws governing assistance for the aged, the blind and the totally disabled”, replaced penalty of $200 maximum fine and/or six month's maximum imprisonment with penalties of specific classes and required discontinuance of award for overpayment offenses rather than “offenses under this section”; P.A. 74-140 made discontinuance of award for overpayment offenses optional rather than mandatory, allowed commissioner to take other action conforming to federal regulations and repealed Subsec. (c); P.A. 74-338 replaced provision for penalties of class C or D felony and class B misdemeanor with provision for penalty for larceny under Secs. 53a-122 to 53a-125; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 75-558 deleted from applicability of provisions vendors of goods and services who receive payments exceeding amount allowed by law and those who pay such vendors more than amount so allowed; P.A. 77-516 made obtaining food stamps fraudulently an offense under Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-146 included food stamp offenses in Subsec. (a); P.A. 84-59 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting phrases “or any food stamps under section 17-12a” and “without the consent of the commissioner” and added “with intent to defraud” and reference to Sec. 53a-123, and added Subsecs. (d), (e) and (f) re fraudulent use of food coupons or public assistance identification card, fraud by person having duties in administration of state or federally funded public assistance program and soliciting or accepting benefits for unlawful award of public assistance benefits by person having duties in administration of a state or federally funded public assistance program; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-83i transferred to Sec. 17b-97 in 1995; P.A. 95-356 amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) by adding an “electronically coded identification and debit card” to the list of items prohibited from being fraudulently used; P.A. 96-169 amended Subsecs. (e) and (f) to subject persons administering program to discipline or discharge by the commissioner for fraudulent acts; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 09-9 amended Subsecs. (a), (b) and (f) by adding references to supplemental nutrition assistance and made technical changes, effective May 4, 2009.
Annotations to former section 17-83i:
Cited. 176 C. 57; 202 C. 86.
Requires a showing that a false representation or statement of a past or existing fact was made by the accused. 32 CS 591.
Cited. 6 Conn. Cir. Ct. 390.

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