H.B. No. 54 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a parental responsibility pilot 1-3 program to assist certain teenage parents receiving AFDC. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas Department of 1-6 Human Services shall establish a parental responsibility pilot 1-7 program designed to discourage teenage pregnancy, encourage teenage 1-8 parents to marry, and improve through education, job training, and 1-9 support services the work and parenting skills of a teenage parent 1-10 who receives financial assistance under the department's aid to 1-11 families with dependent children program. The department shall, 1-12 when appropriate, include both parents of the child in the program. 1-13 (b) The department shall adopt rules and a timetable to 1-14 implement and complete the pilot program. The department shall use 1-15 the Wisconsin parental and family responsibility initiative as a 1-16 model for the pilot program and adapted as necessary for Texas 1-17 conditions. 1-18 (c) The department shall select not more than three 1-19 counties, each with a population of 200,000 or more according to 1-20 the most recent federal census, in which to establish the pilot 1-21 program. 1-22 SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than January 1, 1997, the 1-23 Texas Department of Human Services shall submit to the governor and 1-24 the 75th Legislature a report concerning the effectiveness of the 2-1 pilot program. 2-2 SECTION 3. WAIVERS. If before implementing Section 1 of 2-3 this Act the Texas Department of Human Services determines that a 2-4 waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for 2-5 implementation, the department shall request the waiver or 2-6 authorization and may delay implementing those provisions until the 2-7 waiver or authorization is granted. 2-8 SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES. (a) This Act 2-9 takes effect September 1, 1993. 2-10 (b) The Texas Department of Human Services shall establish 2-11 the pilot program required by this Act not later than January 1, 2-12 1994. 2-13 SECTION 5. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires September 1, 2-14 1997. 2-15 SECTION 6. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 2-16 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.