By:  Cuellar, H.                                       H.B. No. 779
       73R3488 CLG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to AFDC benefits for certain families.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
    1-5  is amended by adding Sections 31.014 and 31.015 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 31.014.  STEPPARENT INCOME.  (a)  The department shall
    1-7  provide financial assistance, in accordance with department rules,
    1-8  to a family having income earned by a stepparent and whose
    1-9  household gross income does not exceed 150 percent of the federal
   1-10  poverty guidelines for the family's size.
   1-11        (b)  The department may provide the assistance only until the
   1-12  earlier of:
   1-13              (1)  the second anniversary of the date on which the
   1-14  parent and stepparent marry; or
   1-15              (2)  the date on which the household gross income
   1-16  exceeds 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the
   1-17  family's size.
   1-18        Sec. 31.015.  TWO-PARENT FAMILIES.  (a)  The department shall
   1-19  provide financial assistance, in accordance with department rules,
   1-20  to a two-parent family whose household gross income does not exceed
   1-21  150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the family's size
   1-22  if:
   1-23              (1)  the primary wage earner parent is unemployed or
   1-24  underemployed; and
    2-1              (2)  at least one parent is participating in a federal
    2-2  job opportunities and basic skills (JOBS) program under the Job
    2-3  Training Partnership Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 1501 et seq.
    2-4        (b)  A family is eligible for assistance under this section
    2-5  without regard to:
    2-6              (1)  the number of hours worked per month by the
    2-7  primary wage earner parent; or
    2-8              (2)  the work history of the primary wage earner
    2-9  parent.
   2-10        (c)  A caretaker of a child younger than three years of age
   2-11  is exempt from the requirements of Subsection (a)(2).
   2-12        SECTION 2.  If before implementing Sections 31.014 and
   2-13  31.015, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, the Texas
   2-14  Department of Human Services determines that a waiver or
   2-15  authorization from a federal agency is necessary for
   2-16  implementation, the department shall request the waiver or
   2-17  authorization and may delay implementing those provisions until the
   2-18  waiver or authorization is granted.
   2-19        SECTION 3.  (a)  The changes in law made by Section 31.014,
   2-20  Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a parent
   2-21  receiving assistance who marries on or after the effective date of
   2-22  this Act.
   2-23        (b)  The changes in law made by Section 31.015, Human
   2-24  Resources Code, as added by this Act, apply only to a two-parent
   2-25  family whose primary wage earner parent becomes unemployed on or
   2-26  after the effective date of this Act.
   2-27        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    3-1        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.