The Genesee County Farm Bureau recently voiced their support for a set of legislation being sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C – Batavia). Resolutions in support of the bills, which seek to ensure that state benefits are offered to the proper applicants, received unanimous support from the bureau at its annual meeting.

“In order to protect the essential services that families rely on, we must ensure that the state’s limited resources are not being spent in the wrong places,” said Hawley. “This legislation will ensure that public assistance benefits are allocated to true New York residents that are not abusing tax dollars for illicit use. Having the unanimous support of the Genesee County Farm Bureau bolsters our ability to accomplish goals on the state level, and I look forward to continuing our efforts to make Western New York’s voice heard in state government.”

Hawley is the main sponsor of Assembly bill 6059, requiring recipients of public assistance benefits to be New York residents for at least 90 days prior to applying. The assemblyman is a co-sponsor of A.4474, which would institute drug tests for certain recipients of public assistance benefits.