1-1           By:  Zaffirini                                    S.B. No. 60

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed November 12, 1996; January 14, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human

 1-4     Services; February 5, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; February 5, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to parenting skills training for certain AFDC recipients.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Subsection (d), Section 31.0031, Human Resources

1-11     Code, as added by Section 2.02, Chapter 655, Acts of the 74th

1-12     Legislature, 1995, is amended to read as follows:

1-13           (d)  The responsibility agreement shall require that:

1-14                 (1)  the parent of a dependent child cooperate with the

1-15     department and the Title IV-D agency if necessary to establish the

1-16     paternity of the dependent child and to establish or enforce child

1-17     support;

1-18                 (2)  if adequate and accessible providers of the

1-19     services are available in the geographic area and subject to the

1-20     availability of funds, each dependent child, as appropriate,

1-21     complete early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment

1-22     checkups on schedule and receive the immunization series prescribed

1-23     by Section 161.004, Health and Safety Code, unless the child is

1-24     exempt under that section;

1-25                 (3)  each adult recipient, or teen parent recipient who

1-26     has completed the requirements regarding school attendance in

1-27     Subdivision (6), not voluntarily terminate paid employment of at

1-28     least 30 hours each week without good cause in accordance with

1-29     rules adopted by the department;

1-30                 (4)  each adult recipient for whom a needs assessment

1-31     is conducted participate in an activity to enable that person to

1-32     become self-sufficient by:

1-33                       (A)  continuing the person's education or

1-34     becoming literate;

1-35                       (B)  entering a job placement or employment

1-36     skills training program;

1-37                       (C)  serving as a volunteer in the person's

1-38     community; or

1-39                       (D)  serving in a community work program or other

1-40     work program approved by the department;

1-41                 (5)  each caretaker relative or parent receiving

1-42     assistance not use, sell, or possess marihuana or a controlled

1-43     substance in violation of Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or

1-44     abuse alcohol;

1-45                 (6)  each dependent child younger than 18 years of age

1-46     or teen parent younger than 19 years of age attend school

1-47     regularly, unless the child has a high school diploma or high

1-48     school equivalency certificate or is specifically exempted from

1-49     school attendance under Section 25.086 [21.033], Education Code;

1-50                 (7)  each recipient comply with department rules

1-51     regarding proof of school attendance; and

1-52                 (8)  each recipient attend appropriate parenting skills

1-53     training classes, as determined by the needs assessment.

1-54           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 31.0135, Human Resources

1-55     Code, is amended to read as follows:

1-56           (b)  The department shall require that a caretaker relative

1-57     or parent who is receiving assistance under this chapter on behalf

1-58     of a dependent child receive appropriate parenting skills training

1-59     as needed.  The training must include one or more components of the

1-60     parenting skills training program that the department determines

1-61     will be useful to the caretaker relative or parent.

1-62           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-63     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-64     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

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

 2-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-4     passage, and it is so enacted.

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