SRC-DBM S.B. 1095 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1095
76R3328  CLG-DBy: Zaffirini
Human Services
4/8/1999
As Filed (REVISED)


DIGEST 

Currently, the purpose of the State Immigrant Food Assistance Program
(SIFAP) is to provide food assistance to many of the Texas legal immigrants
who lost their eligibility for federal food stamp benefits when the federal
welfare reform bill was signed into law on August 22, 1996.  Two groups of
Texas legal immigrants became ineligible for food stamps:  a group of about
330 elderly, legal immigrants whose 65th birthdays fell between August 22,
1996 and March 1, 1998; and a group of about 1,000 children who entered the
United States after August 22, 1996.  S.B. 1095 would provide nutritional
assistance for certain legal immigrants.      

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1095 implements a nutritional assistance program for
certain legal immigrants. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Department of Human Services
in SECTION 1 (Section 33.0024, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code) of this
bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
33.0024, as follows: 

Sec. 33.0024.  STATE IMMIGRANT FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.  (a)  Requires the
Texas Department of Human Services (department), by rule, to develop and
implement a state immigrant food assistance program to provide nutritional
assistance to a lawfully present immigrant who meets certain criteria. 

(b)  Requires the state immigrant food assistance program, subject to
Subsection (a), to be administered using the same eligibility procedures
and benefit levels that are used in administering the food stamp program
under this chapter. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that the state immigrant food assistance program
required by Section 33.0024, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, is
intended to replace a similar food program providing assistance to certain
immigrants ineligible for the federal food stamp program that was
authorized by the Texas Board of Human Services, implemented under rules of
the department, and in effect immediately before the effective date of this
Act. 

SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.Emergency clause.