1-1 By: West S.B. No. 1423 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Human Services; 1-4 April 9, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 9, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1423 By: Bernsen 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to providing supplemental financial assistance and 1-11 services to certain grandparents. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, 1-14 is amended by adding Section 31.0041 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 31.0041. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN 1-16 PERSONS. (a) The department shall provide supplemental financial 1-17 assistance in addition to the amount of financial assistance 1-18 granted for the support of a dependent child under Section 31.003 1-19 to a person who: 1-20 (1) is 45 years of age or older; 1-21 (2) is the grandparent of the dependent child, as 1-22 defined by Section 31.002, who lives at the person's residence; and 1-23 (3) is the primary caretaker of the dependent child. 1-24 (b) Supplemental financial assistance provided to a person 1-25 for the support of a dependent child under this section must 1-26 include: 1-27 (1) a one-time cash payment of $1,000 on determination 1-28 of eligibility for supplemental financial assistance under this 1-29 section; and 1-30 (2) an annual school subsidy in an amount set by the 1-31 department from available funds for each dependent child who: 1-32 (A) lives at the person's residence; 1-33 (B) is the person's grandchild; and 1-34 (C) is eligible for financial assistance under 1-35 this chapter. 1-36 (c) The department shall inform an applicant for financial 1-37 assistance under this chapter who meets the eligibility 1-38 requirements under Subsection (a) of the availability of 1-39 supplemental financial assistance. 1-40 (d) The department shall maintain complete records and 1-41 compile statistics regarding the number of households that receive 1-42 supplemental financial assistance under this section. 1-43 SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, 1-44 is amended by adding Section 40.070 to read as follows: 1-45 Sec. 40.070. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CERTAIN FAMILIES. (a) If 1-46 the department places a child who is in the conservatorship of the 1-47 state in the home of a grandparent of the child, the department 1-48 shall: 1-49 (1) refer the grandparent to support services offered 1-50 by the department; and 1-51 (2) inform the grandparent of the availability of 1-52 financial assistance under Chapter 31, including supplemental 1-53 financial assistance, if the eligibility requirements of that 1-54 chapter are satisfied. 1-55 (b) The department shall maintain complete records and 1-56 compile statistics regarding the number of children who are placed 1-57 by the department in the home of a grandparent of the child. 1-58 SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act 1-59 a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a 1-60 federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, 1-61 the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or 1-62 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 1-63 waiver or authorization is granted. 1-64 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-1 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 2-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-6 * * * * *