1-1     By:  Hilderbran, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Nelson)      H.B. No. 942

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 1997;

 1-3     May 12, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health

 1-4     and Human Services; May 18, 1997, reported favorably, as amended,

 1-5     by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 4; May 18, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                             By:  Moncrief

 1-8           Amend H.B. No. 942 in SECTION 1 of the bill by striking

 1-9     proposed Section 31.0036(a), Human Resources Code (engrossed

1-10     version, page 1, lines 26-32), and substituting the following:

1-11     (a)  The department may not provide financial assistance under this

1-12     chapter for the support of a child born to a recipient of the

1-13     assistance at least 10 months after the date on which the recipient

1-14     initially began receiving the assistance if the recipient has not

1-15     cooperated in establishing the paternity of the dependent child for

1-16     the purpose of enforcing child support and if the recipient already

1-17     has two or more children.

1-18                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-19                                   AN ACT

1-20     relating to the AFDC and Medicaid benefits to children born to AFDC

1-21     recipients.

1-22           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-23           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,

1-24     is amended by adding Section 31.0036 to read as follows:

1-25           Sec. 31.0036.  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ADDITIONAL DEPENDENT

1-26     CHILDREN.  (a)  The department may not provide financial assistance

1-27     under this chapter for the support of a child born to a recipient

1-28     of the assistance at least 10 months after the date on which the

1-29     recipient initially began receiving the assistance if the paternity

1-30     of the dependent child has not been established for the purpose of

1-31     enforcing child support and if the recipient already has two or

1-32     more children.

1-33           (b)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a child born to a

1-34     recipient who reapplies for financial assistance after not

1-35     receiving the assistance for the 12 consecutive months preceding

1-36     the date of the reapplication.

1-37           (c)  If an adult recipient of financial assistance becomes

1-38     the parent of another child while the recipient is receiving the

1-39     assistance, the department, in computing the amount of the

1-40     financial assistance for the support of the family, shall:

1-41                 (1)  deduct the earned income disregards allowable

1-42     under federal law; and

1-43                 (2)  increase the amount of the earned income disregard

1-44     for an employed recipient in an amount that equals 50 percent of

1-45     the amount granted under Section 31.003, adjusted for family size.

1-46           (d)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the state shall provide

1-47     to the latter-born child:

1-48                 (1)  child care and other support services provided

1-49     under this chapter to a dependent child; and

1-50                 (2)  medical assistance under the state Medicaid

1-51     program.

1-52           SECTION 2.  If before implementing Section 31.0036, Human

1-53     Resources, as added by this Act, the Texas Department of Human

1-54     Services determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal

1-55     agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the

1-56     department shall request the waiver and may delay implementing that

1-57     provision until the waiver or authorization is granted.

1-58           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-59     applies only to a child born on or after July 1, 1998, to a

1-60     recipient of financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources

1-61     Code, who, on behalf of another child born to the recipient,

1-62     receives the assistance on or after the effective date of this Act,

1-63     regardless of the date on which eligibility for that assistance was

1-64     determined.

 2-1           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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