By:  Nixon                                             S.B. No. 775

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to eligibility for certain public assistance administered

 1-2     by health and human services agencies.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 531.047 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 531.047.  DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR ELIGIBILITY

 1-7     DETERMINATION.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), a health

 1-8     and human services agency may not provide financial assistance

 1-9     under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, or medical assistance under

1-10     Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, to a person who fails to provide

1-11     to the agency a document necessary to determine eligibility for the

1-12     assistance.

1-13           (b)  A health and human services agency may accept alternate

1-14     documents and use alternate verification methods that are adequate

1-15     to establish the eligibility of a person for the assistance if the

1-16     agency does not require another person to produce a document.

1-17           (c)  This section does not apply to a determination of

1-18     eligibility that is required to be postponed under state or federal

1-19     law.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Chapter 22, Human Resources Code, is amended by

1-21     adding Section 22.032 to read as follows:

1-22           Sec. 22.032.  CITIZENSHIP PROMOTION FOR OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE

1-23     LEGAL IMMIGRANTS.  (a)  The department by rule shall develop a

 2-1     grant program to promote naturalization of lawfully present legal

 2-2     immigrants as of May 1, 1997, who are ineligible for public

 2-3     assistance solely because of their immigration status.

 2-4           (b)  To the extent funds are appropriated by the legislature,

 2-5     the program may provide grants for citizenship preparation

 2-6     assistance for legal immigrants who are ineligible for federal

 2-7     supplemental security income or food stamps benefits, including:

 2-8                 (1)  outreach to and information for legal immigrants

 2-9     about the rights and responsibilities of citizens, the process of

2-10     naturalization, and the availability of citizenship services;

2-11                 (2)  support services for elderly or disabled legal

2-12     immigrants in the naturalization process, including transportation

2-13     and interpretation for Immigration and Naturalization Service

2-14     interviews;

2-15                 (3)  assistance in completing the application for

2-16     United States Citizenship; and

2-17                 (4)  instruction in civics, United States history, and

2-18     English as a second language necessary for the citizenship

2-19     examination.

2-20           SECTION 3.  If before implementing a provision of this Act

2-21     the Health and Human Services Commission determines that a waiver

2-22     or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for

2-23     implementation, the commission shall request the waiver or

2-24     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the

2-25     waiver or authorization is granted.

 3-1           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 3-2     applies only to a person who applies for or receives financial

 3-3     assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, or medical

 3-4     assistance under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, on or after that

 3-5     date, regardless of the date on which eligibility for the

 3-6     assistance is determined.

 3-7           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.