75R10974 CLG-F By Hilderbran H.B. No. 1439 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1439: By Hilderbran C.S.H.B. No. 1439 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to use of financial assistance granted to persons with 1-3 dependent children. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 31.0355 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 31.0355. USE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. (a) Financial 1-8 assistance granted to a person under this chapter may be used only 1-9 to purchase goods and services that are considered essential and 1-10 necessary for the welfare of the family, including food, clothing, 1-11 housing, utilities, child care, and incidentals such as 1-12 transportation and medicine or medical supplies or equipment not 1-13 covered by Medicaid. The department by rule shall define what 1-14 constitutes essential and necessary goods and services for purposes 1-15 of this subsection. 1-16 (b) The department shall encourage housing authorities, 1-17 utility companies, public transportation companies, and other 1-18 nonfood retailers to accept payment for goods and services 1-19 described by Subsection (a) through the state's electronic benefits 1-20 transfer (EBT) system. 1-21 (c) To determine the feasibility of using the EBT system to 1-22 accept payment for goods and services described by Subsection (a), 1-23 the department shall conduct a pilot project in which utility 1-24 companies, housing agencies, and other retailers use the EBT system 2-1 to accept payment for medicine, medical supplies, and medical 2-2 equipment not covered by Medicaid and other goods and services 2-3 described by Subsection (a). The cost of the point-of-sale (POS) 2-4 devices in the pilot project shall not be a state expense, except 2-5 for POS devices located in retail businesses that sell medicine or 2-6 medical supplies or medical equipment. The department shall work 2-7 in conjunction with the office of client transportation services of 2-8 the Health and Human Services Commission to determine if EBT 2-9 transportation applications are feasible. 2-10 (d) If the department determines that the pilot projects 2-11 show that use of the EBT system is feasible and useful for the 2-12 businesses and clients participating in the pilot project, the 2-13 department shall promote the use of the EBT system to appropriate 2-14 businesses statewide with the goal of securing the participation of 2-15 all those businesses in using the EBT system to accept payment for 2-16 goods and services described by Subsection (a). 2-17 (e) The department shall evaluate the pilot project and 2-18 report to the 76th Legislature on the effectiveness of the pilot 2-19 project not later than January 15, 1999. 2-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.