City of Baltimore - File #: 09-0133R

• File #: 09-0133R
• Version: 0
• Name: Unemployment Benefits - Debit Cards
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Withdrawn
• File created: 6/1/2009
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 1/11/2010
• Title: Unemployment Benefits - Debit Cards FOR the purpose of requesting the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to report to the City Council on the efficacy of disbursing unemployment benefits to new recipients through prepaid debit cards, to address complaints that some recipients are being charged an ATM fee to gain access to their funds, and to determine the availability of fee-free Citi network ATMs to Baltimore City residents.
• Sponsors: Belinda Conaway, Nicholas C. D'Adamo, President Young, Warren Branch, Sharon Green Middleton, Helen L. Holton, Agnes Welch, Bill Henry, Stephanie President Rawlings-Blake, James B. Kraft, Edward Reisinger, Robert Curran, Mary Pat Clarke

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
1/11/2010	0	City Council	Withdrawn
6/4/2009	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
6/1/2009	0	City Council	Introduced
6/1/2009	0	City Council	Assigned

* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*

CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)

Introduced by: Councilmember Conaway

A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Unemployment Benefits - Debit Cards

FOR the purpose of requesting the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to report to the City Council on the efficacy of disbursing unemployment benefits to new recipients through prepaid debit cards, to address complaints that some recipients are being charged an ATM fee to gain access to their funds, and to determine the availability of fee-free Citi network ATMs to Baltimore City residents.
body
Recitals

In December 2008, the Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) announced that all new recipients of unemployment insurance benefits would receive automatic payments through prepaid debit cards, eliminating the need for paper checks and saving the State $400,000 a year.

The State of Maryland Treasurer’s Office and DLLR entered into a contract with Citi Prepaid Services to provide debit cards, which will receive electronic payments automatically. Claimants have the option of having payments directly forwarded to the own bank accounts, purportedly eliminating the problems caused by lost or delayed checks and saving beneficiaries the cost of fees sometimes associated with cashing checks.

With their Citi Prepaid debit cards, unemployment insurance claimants are supposed to be able to:

· Access fee-free ...