76R13512 KLA-F
By West S.B. No. 1423
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1423:
By Christian C.S.S.B. No. 1423
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to providing supplemental financial assistance and
1-3 services to certain grandparents.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
1-6 is amended by adding Section 31.0041 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 31.0041. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN
1-8 PERSONS. (a) The department shall provide supplemental financial
1-9 assistance in addition to the amount of financial assistance
1-10 granted for the support of a dependent child under Section 31.003
1-11 to a person who:
1-12 (1) is 45 years of age or older;
1-13 (2) is the grandparent of the dependent child, as
1-14 defined by Section 31.002, who lives at the person's residence;
1-15 (3) is the primary caretaker of the dependent child;
1-16 and
1-17 (4) has a family income that is at or below 200
1-18 percent of the federal poverty level.
1-19 (b) Supplemental financial assistance provided to a person
1-20 for the support of a dependent child under this section must
1-21 include:
1-22 (1) a one-time cash payment of $1,000 on determination
1-23 of eligibility for supplemental financial assistance under this
1-24 section; and
2-1 (2) an annual school subsidy in an amount set by the
2-2 department from available funds for each dependent child who:
2-3 (A) lives at the person's residence;
2-4 (B) is the person's grandchild; and
2-5 (C) is eligible for financial assistance under
2-6 this chapter.
2-7 (c) The department shall inform an applicant for financial
2-8 assistance under this chapter who meets the eligibility
2-9 requirements under Subsection (a) of the availability of
2-10 supplemental financial assistance.
2-11 (d) The department shall maintain complete records and
2-12 compile statistics regarding the number of households that receive
2-13 supplemental financial assistance under this section.
2-14 SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code,
2-15 is amended by adding Section 40.070 to read as follows:
2-16 Sec. 40.070. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CERTAIN FAMILIES. (a) If
2-17 the department places a child who is in the conservatorship of the
2-18 state in the home of a grandparent of the child, the department
2-19 shall:
2-20 (1) refer the grandparent to support services offered
2-21 by the department; and
2-22 (2) inform the grandparent of the availability of
2-23 financial assistance under Chapter 31, including supplemental
2-24 financial assistance, if the eligibility requirements of that
2-25 chapter are satisfied.
2-26 (b) The department shall maintain complete records and
2-27 compile statistics regarding the number of children who are placed
3-1 by the department in the home of a grandparent of the child.
3-2 SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
3-3 a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
3-4 federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
3-5 the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
3-6 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
3-7 waiver or authorization is granted.
3-8 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-9 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.