By Maxey H.B. No. 928
74R2347 CLG-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to AFDC recipients who are eligible for assistance under
1-3 certain federal programs.
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 22 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 22. AFDC RECIPIENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS. (a)
1-8 The commission shall contract on a no-risk contingency basis with a
1-9 consulting firm to assist recipients of financial assistance under
1-10 Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, who are eligible for assistance
1-11 under federal programs to apply for benefits under those federal
1-12 programs. The consulting firm must be:
1-13 (1) qualified to work with the Supplemental Security
1-14 Income (SSI) (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.) and the Social
1-15 Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (42 U.S.C. Section 401 et
1-16 seq.) programs; and
1-17 (2) skilled in interpreting federal:
1-18 (A) eligibility guidelines;
1-19 (B) determination processes;
1-20 (C) work programs; and
1-21 (D) definitions of disabilities.
1-22 (b) The contract shall include:
1-23 (1) a provision that bases the compensation the
1-24 contractor receives on the number of cases converted from state
2-1 financial assistance to SSI or SSDI;
2-2 (2) appropriate performance requirements, including:
2-3 (A) the minimum number of applications for
2-4 federal assistance that must be filed;
2-5 (B) the minimum number of reconsiderations
2-6 requested;
2-7 (C) the percentage of administrative law
2-8 hearings that must be filed;
2-9 (D) the percentage of grants approved by the
2-10 federal programs; and
2-11 (E) time guidelines; and
2-12 (3) an arrangement for training state employees to
2-13 transfer eligible state financial assistance recipients to the
2-14 federal programs.
2-15 (c) The state shall deduct from the lump-sum payment a
2-16 recipient receives from the federal government when that person is
2-17 accepted in the SSI or SSDI program any state financial assistance
2-18 paid to that person during the period between the person's
2-19 application for the federal program and the person's subsequent
2-20 acceptance into it.
2-21 (d) The commission shall organize a planning group involving
2-22 the Texas Department of Human Services, the Central Education
2-23 Agency, and the Texas Rehabilitation Commission to:
2-24 (1) improve workload coordination between those
2-25 agencies as necessary to administer this section; and
2-26 (2) assist the consultant required by this section by:
2-27 (A) providing the consultant with regulations,
3-1 procedures, client records, and other necessary information; and
3-2 (B) helping to train state employees to
3-3 correctly screen applicants under this section.
3-4 SECTION 2. Not later than January 15, 1997, the planning
3-5 group required by Section 22, Article 4413(502), Revised Statutes,
3-6 as added by this Act, shall submit to the legislature and governor
3-7 a report on the progress the state has made in transferring
3-8 recipients of state financial assistance to federal programs.
3-9 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-10 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.