AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The federal government is fining Texas nearly $4 million for errors in its issuance of foods stamps.
The Austin American-Statesman reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined the state for overpaying or underpaying too often over the last two federal fiscal years.
The accusations of payment mistakes come on top of problems Texas has had with processing applications on time.
Geoff Wool of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission says the state plans to appeal the $3.96 million fine because processing errors were the result of the overload caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
He says the error rate is now below the national average.
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