1-1     By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 666
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 24, 1999; February 25, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Human Services;
 1-4     April 29, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 29, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 666                By:  Zaffirini
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to exemptions from work or employment activity
1-11     participation requirements for certain Temporary Assistance for
1-12     Needy Families (TANF) recipients.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, is amended
1-15     by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
1-16     follows:
1-17           (c)  A person who is the caretaker of a physically or
1-18     mentally disabled child who requires the caretaker's presence is
1-19     not required to participate in a program under this section.
1-20     Effective January 1, 2000, a single custodial parent [September 1,
1-21     1995, a person] is not required to participate in a program under
1-22     this section until the parent's [person's] youngest child at the
1-23     time the parent [person] first became eligible for assistance
1-24     reaches the age of three [five].  Effective September 1, 2000
1-25     [1997], a single custodial parent [person] is exempt until the
1-26     parent's [person's] youngest child at the time the parent [person]
1-27     first became eligible for assistance reaches the age of two [four].
1-28     Effective September 1, 2001, a single custodial parent is exempt
1-29     until the parent's youngest child at the time the parent first
1-30     became eligible for assistance reaches the age of one.
1-31     Notwithstanding Sections 31.0035(b) and 32.0255(b), the department
1-32     shall provide to a person who is exempt under this subsection and
1-33     who voluntarily participates in a program under Subsection (a)(2)
1-34     six months of transitional benefits in addition to the applicable
1-35     limit prescribed by Section 31.0065.
1-36           (f)  In this section, "custodial parent" means the parent of
1-37     a child with whom the child primarily resides, including a parent
1-38     who has been appointed under a court order as sole managing
1-39     conservator or joint managing conservator of the child.
1-40           SECTION 2.  Before implementing any provision of Subsection
1-41     (c), Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, as amended by this Act,
1-42     the Texas Department of Human Services shall work in conjunction
1-43     with the Texas Workforce Commission or a local workforce
1-44     development board, as appropriate, to develop and implement a
1-45     client education effort targeted at clients affected by the changes
1-46     to that section.  The department shall inform each client whose
1-47     exemption status is affected of the pending change, the timeline
1-48     for the change, and the effect of the change on the client's work
1-49     requirements and time limits.
1-50           SECTION 3.  If, before implementing any provision of
1-51     Subsection (c), Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, as amended by
1-52     this Act, a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization
1-53     from a federal agency is necessary for implementation, the agency
1-54     shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay
1-55     implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is
1-56     granted.
1-57           SECTION 4.  Notwithstanding Subsection (c), Section 31.012,
1-58     Human Resources Code, as amended by this Act, a person receiving
1-59     financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, on
1-60     December 31, 1999, remains subject to the exemptions from
1-61     participation in work or employment activity requirements under
1-62     Subsection (c), Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, as it existed
1-63     immediately before the effective date of this Act, until the
1-64     person's first recertification date that occurs on or after January
 2-1     1, 2000.
 2-2           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-3           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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