By Oakley H.B. No. 1482 74R4463 MLR-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to AFDC benefits for certain children. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 31.003, Human Resources Code, is amended 1-5 by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to 1-6 read as follows: 1-7 (a) The department shall adopt rules governing the 1-8 determination of the amount of financial assistance to be granted 1-9 for the support of a dependent child. The amount granted, when 1-10 combined with the income and other resources available for the 1-11 child's support, must be sufficient to provide the child with a 1-12 subsistence compatible with decency and health. However, in 1-13 determining the total amount to be granted to a family, the 1-14 department may not consider more than two children in a family as 1-15 eligible for financial assistance. 1-16 (d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the department shall 1-17 consider additional children in a family for purposes of requiring 1-18 the cooperation of the person who would otherwise be receiving 1-19 financial assistance on behalf of the child in: 1-20 (1) identifying and locating an absent parent of the 1-21 child; 1-22 (2) establishing the maternity or paternity of the 1-23 child if necessary; or 1-24 (3) providing other information that is necessary to 2-1 establish and enforce a court-ordered child support obligation for 2-2 the child. 2-3 (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the state shall provide 2-4 to an additional child who is not eligible for financial 2-5 assistance: 2-6 (1) child care and other services provided under this 2-7 chapter to a dependent child; 2-8 (2) medical assistance under the state Medicaid 2-9 program; and 2-10 (3) nutritional assistance. 2-11 SECTION 2. If before implementing a provision of this Act 2-12 the Texas Department of Human Services determines that a waiver or 2-13 authorization from a federal agency is necessary for 2-14 implementation, the department shall request the waiver or 2-15 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 2-16 waiver or authorization is granted. 2-17 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and 2-18 applies only to a person who applies for financial assistance under 2-19 Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date. A person 2-20 who applied for financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human 2-21 Resources Code, before the effective date of this Act is governed 2-22 by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date, and 2-23 that law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.