By Lewis of Tarrant H.B. No. 2002
76R7387 CLG-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to exemptions from work or employment activity
1-3 participation requirements for certain TANF recipients.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, is amended
1-6 by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
1-7 follows:
1-8 (c) [A person who is the caretaker of a physically or
1-9 mentally disabled child who requires the caretaker's presence is
1-10 not required to participate in a program under this section.]
1-11 Effective September 1, 1999, a single custodial parent [1995, a
1-12 person] is not required to participate in a program under this
1-13 section until the parent's [person's] youngest child at the time
1-14 the parent [person] first became eligible for assistance reaches
1-15 the age of three [five]. Effective September 1, 2000 [1997], a
1-16 single custodial parent [a person] is exempt until the parent's
1-17 [person's] youngest child at the time the parent [person] first
1-18 became eligible for assistance reaches the age of two [four].
1-19 Effective September 1, 2001, a single custodial parent is exempt
1-20 until the parent's youngest child at the time the parent first
1-21 became eligible for assistance reaches the age of one.
1-22 Notwithstanding Sections 31.0035(b) and 32.0255(b), the department
1-23 shall provide to a parent [person] who is exempt under this
1-24 subsection and who voluntarily participates in a program under
2-1 Subsection (a)(2) six months of transitional benefits in addition
2-2 to the applicable limit prescribed by Section 31.0065.
2-3 (f) In this section, "custodial parent" means the parent of
2-4 a child with whom the child primarily resides, including a parent
2-5 who has been appointed under a court order as sole managing
2-6 conservator or joint managing conservator of the child.
2-7 SECTION 2. If, before implementing any provision of Section
2-8 31.012(c), Human Resources Code, as amended by this Act, a state
2-9 agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal
2-10 agency is necessary for implementation, the agency shall request
2-11 the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that
2-12 provision until the waiver or authorization is granted.
2-13 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
2-14 applies only to a person who receives financial assistance under
2-15 Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date, regardless
2-16 of the date on which eligibility for that assistance was
2-17 determined.
2-18 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.