By Driver                                              H.B. No. 159

      75R498 MWV-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to assignments by certain recipients of state assistance

 1-3     of lottery prizes to the state and collection of those assignments.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 466, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 466.4075 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 466.4075.  ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHT TO LOTTERY PRIZE.  (a)

 1-8     The filing of an application under Chapter 31, Human Resources

 1-9     Code, constitutes an assignment to the general revenue fund of any

1-10     rights to a lottery prize that the applicant or recipient may have

1-11     in the applicant's or recipient's behalf or for a child for whom

1-12     the applicant or recipient is claiming assistance in the aggregated

1-13     amount of the assistance provided to the applicant or recipient or

1-14     to a child of the applicant or recipient.  The assignment under

1-15     this section is valid only if the application for assistance is

1-16     approved.

1-17           (b)  The director shall deduct the amount of the assignment

1-18     under Subsection (a) from the winnings of a person.

1-19           (c)  If a person's winnings exceed a deduction under

1-20     Subsection (b), the director shall pay the balance to the person.

1-21           (d)  The Texas Department of Human Services shall provide the

1-22     director with information necessary for the deduction of the amount

1-23     of an assignment made under this section.

1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-1     applies to assistance provided under Chapter 31, Human Resources

 2-2     Code, and lottery prizes won on or after that date.  Assistance

 2-3     provided under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, and lottery prizes

 2-4     won before the effective date of this Act are governed by the law

 2-5     in effect on the date assistance was provided or lottery prizes

 2-6     won, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-7           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.