SRC-SLL H.B. 1784 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 1784
By: Hilderbran (Duncan)
Health & Human Services
5-16-97
Engrossed


DIGEST 

This bill would implement recommendations from the House Interim Committee
on Human Services Interim Report.  This bill would direct the Department
of Human Services to increase the amount of financial assistance granted
to persons with dependent children to aid in covering costs related to a
work activity. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1784 provides regulations regarding the amount of
assistance granted under the financial assistance program for persons with
dependent children. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Department of Human Services
in SECTION 1 (Section 31.003(b), Human Resources Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 31.003, Human Resources Code, to require the
Texas Department of Human Service (department), by rule, to increase the
amount of financial assistance granted to a recipient who is participating
in a work or employment activity under Section 31.012 and is counted
toward the state's minimum work participation rate requirement prescribed
by 42 U.S.C. Section 607 in an amount sufficient to cover the recipient's
incidental costs participating in the activity.  Prohibits the additional
amount from exceeding 10 percent of the base family grant. Requires the
department to periodically estimate the number of recipients who will be
participating in a work or employment activity under Section 31.012 and
will be counted toward the state's minimum work participation rate
requirement prescribed by 42 U.S.C. Section 607 and the number of
recipients who will not be participating in those activities or will not
be counted toward the state's minimum work participation rate requirement.
Requires the department to develop a method to set the amounts of benefits
under Subsection (b) in amounts that to the extent possible will not
affect the total amount of financial assistance and services paid under
this chapter.  Defines "incidental costs."  Makes conforming changes.  

SECTION 2. Amends Section 31.0065(b), Human Resources Code, to require the
department to limit financial assistance and transitional benefits in
accordance with a certain schedule except that financial assistance
provided to a two-parent family is limited to a cumulative total of 12
months and transitional benefits are limited to 12 months.  Makes
conforming changes. 

SECTION 3. Requires the department, before implementing any provision of
this Act, to request a waiver or authorization, if the department
determines that a waiver or federal authorization is necessary for
implementation, and authorizes the department to delay implementing that
provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1997, and applies to all financial
assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, that is paid on or
after January 1, 1998, regardless of the date on which eligibility for
that assistance was determined. 


 SECTION 5. Emergency clause.