68-1017.01. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; violations; penalties.

(1) A person commits an offense if he or she knowingly uses, alters, or transfers any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or electronic benefit cards or any authorizations to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in any manner not authorized by law. An offense under this subsection shall be a Class IV misdemeanor if the value of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, electronic benefit cards, or authorizations is less than five hundred dollars, shall be a Class III misdemeanor if the value is five hundred dollars or more but less than one thousand five hundred dollars, and shall be a Class IV felony if the value is one thousand five hundred dollars or more.

(2) A person commits an offense if he or she knowingly (a) possesses any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or electronic benefit cards or any authorizations to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when such individual is not authorized by law to possess them, (b) redeems Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or electronic benefit cards when he or she is not authorized by law to redeem them, or (c) redeems Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or electronic benefit cards for purposes not authorized by law. An offense under this subsection shall be a Class IV misdemeanor if the value of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, electronic benefit cards, or authorizations is less than five hundred dollars, shall be a Class III misdemeanor if the value is five hundred dollars or more but less than one thousand five hundred dollars, and shall be a Class IV felony if the value is one thousand five hundred dollars or more.

(3) A person commits an offense if he or she knowingly possesses blank authorizations to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when such possession is not authorized by law. An offense under this subsection shall be a Class IV felony.

(4) When any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or electronic benefit cards or any authorizations to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of various values are obtained in violation of this section pursuant to one scheme or a continuing course of conduct, whether from the same or several sources, such conduct may be considered as one offense, and the values aggregated in determining the grade of the offense.

Source:Laws 1984, LB 1127, § 3; Laws 1998, LB 1073, § 59; Laws 2009, LB288, § 27; Laws 2010, LB849, § 15; Laws 2015, LB605, § 80.