1-1 By: Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Truan) H.B. No. 1909
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997;
1-3 May 13, 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 10, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to
1-6 printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Moncrief
1-8 Amend C.S.H.B. 1909 (Engrossed Version) as follows:
1-9 (1) On page 1 of the bill, lines 33 and 34, strike "subject to the
1-10 availability of funds, shall" and substitute "may".
1-11 (2) On page 1, between lines 37 and 38, insert the following and
1-12 reletter subsequent subsections appropriately.
1-13 (b) The department may limit the percentage of earnings
1-14 disregarded, impose a time limit on how long the earnings are
1-15 disregarded or gradually reduce the percentage of earnings
1-16 disregarded in order to remain within available funding.
1-17 (c) Funding for earnings disregards may also come from
1-18 savings associated with sanctions related to noncompliance with the
1-19 personal responsibility agreement and work requirements in this
1-20 chapter, from savings resulting from caseload declines below
1-21 projections specified in the Appropriations bill, and from
1-22 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds.
1-23 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-24 AN ACT
1-25 relating to the methods used to extend the period of supported
1-26 employment for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy
1-27 Families.
1-28 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-29 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
1-30 is amended by adding Section 31.043 to read as follows:
1-31 Sec. 31.043. FILL-THE-GAP BUDGETING. (a) To extend the
1-32 period of supported employment for families who receive financial
1-33 assistance under this chapter, the department, subject to the
1-34 availability of funds, shall use a form of fill-the-gap budgeting
1-35 or another method under which the department disregards earnings of
1-36 family members who obtain employment while receiving the
1-37 assistance.
1-38 (b) In this section, "fill-the-gap budgeting" means a system
1-39 of budgeting in which benefits are gradually lowered using a
1-40 percentage of the difference between the standard of need and the
1-41 countable income to calculate the grant benefit.
1-42 SECTION 2. Sections 7.06(c) and (e), Chapter 655, Acts of
1-43 the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, are amended to read as
1-44 follows:
1-45 (c) The department shall report to the governor regarding
1-46 the program's success in assisting families in becoming more
1-47 self-sufficient. The department shall notify members of the [75th
1-48 and] 76th and 77th legislatures and the standing committees of the
1-49 senate and house of representatives having primary jurisdiction
1-50 over the department of the filing of the report.
1-51 (e) This section expires September 1, 2001 [1999].
1-52 SECTION 3. The Texas Department of Human Services shall
1-53 revise the pilot program established by Section 7.06, Chapter 655,
1-54 Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, as necessary
1-55 to implement statewide the "fill-the-gap budgeting" program
1-56 prescribed by Section 31.043, Human Resources Code, as added by
1-57 this Act.
1-58 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-59 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
1-60 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-61 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-62 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-63 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-64 * * * * *