By Mowery, Conley                                     H.B. No. 1676
       74R4437 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the establishment of a time-limited benefits pilot
    1-3  program for certain AFDC recipients.
    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 time-limited benefits pilot
    1-7  program that limits the amount of time a person can receive
    1-8  financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code.  The
    1-9  department shall establish the pilot program in Midland, San
   1-10  Antonio, and Fort Worth.
   1-11        (b)  In implementing the time-limited benefits pilot program,
   1-12  the department:
   1-13              (1)  shall require a person to participate in the
   1-14  program if the person:
   1-15                    (A)  is eligible to participate in the job
   1-16  opportunities and basic skills (JOBS) training program under Part
   1-17  F, Subchapter IV, Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 682); and
   1-18                    (B)  is not the caretaker of a dependent child
   1-19  who is younger than one year of age;
   1-20              (2)  may not provide financial assistance under Chapter
   1-21  31, Human Resources Code, to a participant in the pilot program or
   1-22  to anyone for whom the participant receives financial assistance if
   1-23  the participant has received the financial assistance for a
   1-24  cumulative total of two years;
    2-1              (3)  may not consider financial assistance provided to
    2-2  a participant before January 1, 1995, in determining the
    2-3  participant's eligibility for financial assistance under
    2-4  Subdivision (2) of this subsection;
    2-5              (4)  shall provide that a participant in the pilot
    2-6  program may reapply with the department for financial assistance on
    2-7  or after the third anniversary of the date on which the participant
    2-8  is totally disqualified from receiving financial assistance because
    2-9  of the application of Subdivision (2) of this subsection;
   2-10              (5)  may extend the amount of time a participant in the
   2-11  pilot program is entitled to receive financial assistance if after
   2-12  an investigation the department determines that limiting the amount
   2-13  of time the participant can receive financial assistance will
   2-14  impose an undue hardship on the participant or the participant's
   2-15  family;
   2-16              (6)  shall establish the criteria for determining what
   2-17  constitutes undue hardship under Subdivision (5) of this
   2-18  subsection; and
   2-19              (7)  shall require that a person who is participating
   2-20  in the pilot program sign a contract with the department in which
   2-21  the person:
   2-22                    (A)  agrees to strive to become self-sufficient;
   2-23  and
   2-24                    (B)  acknowledges that the financial assistance
   2-25  provided to that person will be terminated on the second
   2-26  anniversary of the date on which the person first begins receiving
   2-27  assistance.
    3-1        (c)  The department shall adopt rules and set a timetable to
    3-2  implement and complete the pilot program.
    3-3        SECTION 2.  REPORT.  Not later than January 15, 2001, the
    3-4  Texas Department of Human Services shall submit to the governor and
    3-5  the 77th Legislature a report concerning the effectiveness of the
    3-6  pilot program.
    3-7        SECTION 3.  WAIVERS.  If before implementing Section 1 of
    3-8  this Act the Texas Department of Human Services determines that a
    3-9  waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for
   3-10  implementation, the department shall request the waiver or
   3-11  authorization and may delay implementing those provisions until the
   3-12  waiver or authorization is granted.
   3-13        SECTION 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES.  (a)  This Act
   3-14  takes effect September 1, 1995, and applies only to a person who
   3-15  receives financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources
   3-16  Code, on or after that date, regardless of the date on which
   3-17  eligibility for that assistance was determined.
   3-18        (b)  The Texas Department of Human Services shall establish
   3-19  the pilot program required by this Act not later than January 1,
   3-20  1996.
   3-21        SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1,
   3-22  2001.
   3-23        SECTION 6.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   3-24  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-26  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-27  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.