By Maxey, Naishtat, Raymond                            H.B. No. 578
       74R2320 CBH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the creation, powers, and duties of a state interagency
    1-3  task force on electronic benefits transfers.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 4413(502), Revised Statutes, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 10A to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 10A.  INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON ELECTRONIC BENEFITS
    1-8  TRANSFERS.  (a)  An interagency task force is created to advise and
    1-9  assist the commission in adding new benefit programs to the
   1-10  statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system.
   1-11        (b)  The task force is composed of:
   1-12              (1)  a representative of:
   1-13                    (A)  the attorney general's office, appointed by
   1-14  the attorney general;
   1-15                    (B)  the comptroller's office, appointed by the
   1-16  comptroller;
   1-17                    (C)  the commission, appointed by the
   1-18  commissioner;
   1-19                    (D)  the Texas Department of Health, appointed by
   1-20  the commissioner of public health;
   1-21                    (E)  the Texas Department of Human Services,
   1-22  appointed by the commissioner of human services;
   1-23                    (F)  the Texas Employment Commission, appointed
   1-24  by the chairman of that agency; and
    2-1                    (G)  the Texas Rehabilitation Commission,
    2-2  appointed by the commissioner of that agency; and
    2-3              (2)  two representatives of each of the following
    2-4  groups, appointed by the comptroller:
    2-5                    (A)  retailers who maintain EBT point-of-sale
    2-6  equipment;
    2-7                    (B)  banks or owners of automatic teller
    2-8  machines; and
    2-9                    (C)  consumer or client advocacy organizations.
   2-10        (c)  A member of the task force serves at the will of the
   2-11  appointing agency.
   2-12        (d)  The representative of the comptroller's office serves as
   2-13  presiding officer.  The task force may elect any other necessary
   2-14  officers.
   2-15        (e)  The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding
   2-16  officer.
   2-17        (f)  The appointing agency is responsible for the expenses of
   2-18  a member's service on the task force.  A member of the task force
   2-19  receives no additional compensation for serving on the task force.
   2-20        (g)  The task force shall:
   2-21              (1)  serve as the state counterpoint to the federal EBT
   2-22  task force;
   2-23              (2)  identify benefit programs that merit addition to
   2-24  the state's EBT system;
   2-25              (3)  identify and address problems that may occur if a
   2-26  program is added;
   2-27              (4)  pursue state-federal partnerships to facilitate
    3-1  the development and expansion of the state's EBT system;
    3-2              (5)  track and distribute federal legislation and
    3-3  information from other states that relate to EBT systems; and
    3-4              (6)  ensure efficiency and planning coordination in
    3-5  relation to the state's EBT system.
    3-6        (h)  In determining which benefit programs can be added to
    3-7  the state's EBT system, the task force shall consider, at a
    3-8  minimum:
    3-9              (1)  the savings to the state;
   3-10              (2)  the ease of addition to existing infrastructure;
   3-11  and
   3-12              (3)  the number of clients served.
   3-13        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   3-14  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-15  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-16  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-17  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   3-18  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   3-19  passage, and it is so enacted.