78R7728 QS-D

By:  West                                                         S.B. No. 1473



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a community service requirement for certain public 
housing residents.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 392, Local Government 
Code, is amended by adding Section 392.067 to read as follows:
	Sec. 392.067.  COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT.  (a)  In this 
section, "school-age child" means a child who is at least five years 
of age but younger than 14 years of age.
	(b)  Each housing authority shall adopt rules requiring that 
a public housing resident devote to the educational needs of at 
least one school-age child of that resident one or more hours of 
community service of the eight total hours of community service 
that the resident is required to contribute each month under 42 
U.S.C. Section 1437j(c).  The authority shall establish procedures 
for verifying compliance with the community service education 
requirement imposed under this subsection.
	(c)  The following public housing residents are exempt from 
the community service education requirement imposed under 
Subsection (b):
		(1)  a resident who is not a parent, conservator, or 
other guardian of a school-age child;
		(2)  a resident who participates in an economic 
self-sufficiency program, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1437j(g), 
for eight hours each month; and
		(3)  a resident who is exempt from the community 
service requirement under 42 U.S.C. Section 1437j(c)(2).
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.