HB 5386 Summary

• Establishes the "HOPE Act" to enhance eligibility verification for medical assistance and food assistance programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Requires the department to verify applicant eligibility information including earned/unearned income, employment status, immigration status, residency, enrollment in other programs, financial resources, incarceration status, death records, and potential identity fraud before awarding assistance.

• Mandates quarterly reviews of current beneficiaries using information from state and federal sources to identify changes in circumstances affecting eligibility, with authority to contract with independent vendors and join multistate cooperatives like the National Accuracy Clearinghouse.

• Requires applicants to complete an identity authentication process through a knowledge-based quiz with financial and personal questions available through multiple channels (online, in-person, telephone).

• Restricts resource limits and gross income standards for food assistance to federal maximums specified in 7 USC 2014, prohibits seeking federal waivers of these requirements, and mandates annual reporting on cases reviewed, closed, fraud referrals, and cost savings.