78R8388 CLG-D

By:  Villarreal                                                   H.B. No. 2059



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to providing supplemental financial assistance to certain 
primary caretakers of a child receiving financial assistance.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 31.0041, Human Resources Code, is 
amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (f) and 
(g) to read as follows:
	(a)  To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, 
the department may provide supplemental financial assistance in 
addition to the amount of financial assistance granted for the 
support of a dependent child under Section 31.003 to a person who:
		(1)  is 45 years of age or older;                                             
		(2)  is a relative [the grandparent] of the dependent 
child, as defined by Section 31.002, who lives at the person's 
residence;
		(3)  is the primary caretaker of the dependent child;                         
		(4)  has a family income that is at or below 200 percent 
of the federal poverty level; and
		(5)  does not have resources that exceed the amount 
allowed for financial assistance under this chapter, except as 
provided by Subsection (f).
	(f)  In determining whether a person is eligible for 
supplemental financial assistance under this section, the 
department shall exclude from the person's available resources the 
fair market value of the person's ownership interest in a motor 
vehicle, but not more than $15,000 plus or minus an amount to be 
determined annually beginning on September 1, 2003, to reflect 
changes in the new car component of the Consumer Price Index for All 
Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
	(g)  In this section, "relative" means a grandparent, 
great-grandparent, aunt, or uncle of a dependent child.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and 
applies to a person receiving financial assistance under Chapter 
31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date, regardless of the 
date on which eligibility for that assistance was determined.