By Maxey                                        H.B. No. 1909

      75R3773 KEL-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the methods used to extend the period of supported

 1-3     employment for TANF families.

 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 31.043 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 31.043.  FILL-THE-GAP BUDGETING.  (a)  Subject to the

 1-8     availability of funds, the department shall use a form of

 1-9     fill-the-gap budgeting to extend the period of supported employment

1-10     for families who receive financial assistance under this chapter.

1-11           (b)  In this section, "fill-the-gap budgeting" means a system

1-12     of budgeting in which benefits are gradually lowered using a

1-13     percentage of the difference between the standard of need and the

1-14     countable income to calculate the grant benefit.

1-15           SECTION 2.  Sections 7.06(c) and (e), Chapter 655, Acts of

1-16     the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, are amended to read as

1-17     follows:

1-18           (c)  The department shall report to the governor regarding

1-19     the program's success in assisting families in becoming more

1-20     self-sufficient.  The department shall notify members of the [75th

1-21     and] 76th and 77th legislatures and the standing committees of the

1-22     senate and house of representatives having primary jurisdiction

1-23     over the department of the filing of the report.

1-24           (e)  This section expires September 1, 2001 [1999].

 2-1           SECTION 3.  The Texas Department of Human Services shall

 2-2     revise the pilot program established by Section 7.06, Chapter 655,

 2-3     Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, as necessary

 2-4     to:

 2-5                 (1)  implement statewide the "fill-the-gap budgeting"

 2-6     program prescribed by Section 31.043, Human Resources Code, as

 2-7     added by this Act; and

 2-8                 (2)  reflect the method of extending transitional

 2-9     benefits to 24 months as the sole method used in the pilot program.

2-10           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-11           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.