Jindal Signs Law Restricting EBT Use

No strip clubs, liquor stores or nail salons, among other retailers, for anyone wishing to pay for those goods and services using an EBT benefit card.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services issued a rule earlier this year prohibiting the use of EBT benefits at certain retailers, and Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature on a measure by Hammond Rep. Chris Broadwater makes it law.

Broadwater said he wrote the legislation to ensure the integrity of government programs that offer cash assistance to financially struggling families.

"I thought it made sense to place into law those prohibitions, so that citizens know their tax dollars being used, the way they are intended in those programs," Broadwater said.

Retailers and EBT cardholders face penalties if they violate the law.

"It can include both a suspension of benefits for the recipient, as well as monetary fines for businesses that are participating in a prohibitive transaction," Broadwater said.

The program is designed to help a family pay for ongoing basic needs like food, shelter and clothing.