Federal Assistance Issued in New York Used at Florida Hot Spots

As Florida moves to restrict where those on federal assistance can use their state-issued debit-style assistance cards, a News 4 I-team investigation from NBC New York is reporting that thousands of dollars issued to New Yorkers are ending up in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Florida.

The report claims that more than $8.9 million was withdrawn between January 2010 through November 2011 using the debit cards issued through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) outside of New York or any of its border states.

There have also been withdrawals from ATMs in the Florida Keys, around Disney World and the Daytona International Speedway, NBC New York reported.

On Tuesday, the Florida House Health and Human Services Committee backed a bill that would prohibit the cards issued in Florida from being used at ATMs located in strip clubs, Internet cafes and liquor stores.