Currently cash assistance benefits can be used to buy prescriptions, but HB2261 would prevent the purchase of medical marijuana. The bill passed on a 4-1 vote of the Arizona House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Specifically, the bill “establishes a penalty for the unlawful use of cash assistance electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards at specific locations.
Rep. Dr. Randall Friese said he was “a little bit conflicted being a physician and being a prescriber. I have concerns about not being able to purchase necessary prescriptions.” Friese said it is hard to understand why a patient would not be able to purchase the drugs they have been prescribed. He stated that he understands a prohibition against using the benefits for recreational use marijuana.
HB2261: electronic benefit transfers; prohibitions; violations provides:
1. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to six months in jail, $2,500 fines plus surcharges) for any of the following businesses to operate on their licensed premises an automatic teller machine (ATM) or a point-of-sale terminal (POS terminal) that accepts cash assistance EBT cards and processes cash assistance EBT card transactions:
a. A liquor store;
b. A commercial horse racing or dog racing facility;
c. An adult oriented entertainment establishment (AOB).
2. Prohibits the use of cash assistance EBT cards at medical marijuana dispensaries. Makes a violation a Class 1 misdemeanor.
3. Removes municipal licensing and permitting requirements for AOBs.
4. Clarifies that having an ATM or POS terminal that accepts cash assistance EBT cards at an AOB is a license violation, instead of both a license and a permit violation.
A.R.S. Title 46, Article 5 governs the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Cash assistance is administered by the Department of Economic Security. To be eligible for cash assistance, a person must meet the specific criteria outlined in A.R.S § 46-292.