By Zaffirini                                            S.B. No. 60

      75R815 CLG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to parenting skills training for certain AFDC recipients.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 31.0031(d), Human Resources Code, as

 1-5     added by Section 2.02, Chapter 655, Acts of the 74th Legislature,

 1-6     Regular Session, 1995, is amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (d)  The responsibility agreement shall require that:

 1-8                 (1)  the parent of a dependent child cooperate with the

 1-9     department and the Title IV-D agency if necessary to establish the

1-10     paternity of the dependent child and to establish or enforce child

1-11     support;

1-12                 (2)  if adequate and accessible providers of the

1-13     services are available in the geographic area and subject to the

1-14     availability of funds, each dependent child, as appropriate,

1-15     complete early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment

1-16     checkups on schedule and receive the immunization series prescribed

1-17     by Section 161.004, Health and Safety Code, unless the child is

1-18     exempt under that section;

1-19                 (3)  each adult recipient, or teen parent recipient who

1-20     has completed the requirements regarding school attendance in

1-21     Subdivision (6), not voluntarily terminate paid employment of at

1-22     least 30 hours each week without good cause in accordance with

1-23     rules adopted by the department;

1-24                 (4)  each adult recipient for whom a needs assessment

 2-1     is conducted participate in an activity to enable that person to

 2-2     become self-sufficient by:

 2-3                       (A)  continuing the person's education or

 2-4     becoming literate;

 2-5                       (B)  entering a job placement or employment

 2-6     skills training program;

 2-7                       (C)  serving as a volunteer in the person's

 2-8     community; or

 2-9                       (D)  serving in a community work program or other

2-10     work program approved by the department;

2-11                 (5)  each caretaker relative or parent receiving

2-12     assistance not use, sell, or possess marihuana or a controlled

2-13     substance in violation of Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or

2-14     abuse alcohol;

2-15                 (6)  each dependent child younger than 18 years of age

2-16     or teen parent younger than 19 years of age attend school

2-17     regularly, unless the child has a high school diploma or high

2-18     school equivalency certificate or is specifically exempted from

2-19     school attendance under Section 25.086 [21.033], Education Code;

2-20                 (7)  each recipient comply with department rules

2-21     regarding proof of school attendance; and

2-22                 (8)  each recipient attend appropriate parenting skills

2-23     training classes, as determined by the needs assessment.

2-24           SECTION 2.  Section 31.0135(b), Human Resources Code, is

2-25     amended to read as follows:

2-26           (b)  The department shall require that a caretaker relative

2-27     or parent who is receiving assistance under this chapter on behalf

 3-1     of a dependent child receive appropriate parenting skills training

 3-2     as needed.  The training must include one or more components of the

 3-3     parenting skills training program that the department determines

 3-4     will be useful to the caretaker relative or parent.

 3-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-11     passage, and it is so enacted.