By: Chisum, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Watson) H.B. No. 407

(In the Senate - Received from the House March 15, 2007; March 29, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; April 27, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 27, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of a home-delivered meal grant program in the Department of Agriculture.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding Section 12.042 to read as follows:

Sec. 12.042. HOME-DELIVERED MEAL GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish a home-delivered meal grant program to benefit homebound elderly and disabled people in this state. The program must be designed to help defray the costs of providing home-delivered meals that are not fully funded by the Department of Aging and Disability Services or an area agency on aging.

(b) From funds appropriated for that purpose, the department shall make grants to qualifying organizations that provide home-delivered meals to the homebound elderly and disabled. The department may use not more than five percent of those appropriated funds for the administration of the grant program.

(c) An organization applying to the department for a grant under this section must:

(1) be a governmental agency or a nonprofit private organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section 501(c)(3) of that code, that is a direct provider of home-delivered meals to the elderly or persons with disabilities in this state;

(2) if it is a nonprofit private organization, have a volunteer board of directors;

(3) practice nondiscrimination;

(4) have an accounting system or fiscal agent approved by the county in which it provides meals;

(5) have a system to prevent the duplication of services to the organization's clients; and

(6) agree to use funds received under this section only to supplement and extend existing services related directly to home-delivered meal services.

(d) Before an organization may receive a grant from the department, the county in which the organization provides meals must make a grant to the organization. If the county makes a grant to the organization in an amount that is less than 25 cents for each person at least 60 years of age who resides in the county, according to the most recent federal decennial census, the maximum amount the department may provide to organizations in the county under Subsection (h) is reduced to an amount in proportion to the amount by which the county grant is less than 25 cents for each elderly resident.

(e) The department shall require an organization seeking a grant to file an application in a form approved by the department. The application must be notarized and signed by the organization's executive director and board chair, if applicable, be postmarked not later than November 1, and must include:

(1) the organization's name and address;

(2) the names and titles of the organization's executive director and board chair, if applicable;

(3) the name of the county in relation to which the organization is applying;

(4) the number of residents at least 60 years of age who reside in that county, according to the most recent federal decennial census;

(5) the amount of the grant awarded by that county as required by Subsection (d);

(6) the number of meals the organization delivered to elderly or disabled persons in that county during the preceding state fiscal year that were not fully funded for by the Department of Aging and Disability Services or an area agency on aging;

(7) appropriate documentation demonstrating that the organization:

(A) is a qualifying governmental agency or nonprofit private organization;

(B) has been awarded a grant by the county in relation to which the organization is applying, as required by Subsection (d); and

(C) has delivered the number of meals reported under Subdivision (6);

(8) the organization's most recent financial statement or audited financial report; and

(9) a list of the organization's board and officers.

(f) An organization that applies for a grant for meals delivered in more than one county must submit a separate application in relation to each county.

(g) The department annually shall determine:

(1) the total amount of money available for grants under this section;

(2) the number of residents at least 60 years of age in this state, according to the most recent federal decennial census; and

(3) the number of residents at least 60 years of age in each county in this state, according to the most recent federal decennial census.

(h) Except as provided by Subsections (d), (i), and (j), grants from the department to qualifying organizations in a county in a state fiscal year may not exceed an amount determined by the formula:

CR x (TD/SR)

where:

"CR" is the number of residents at least 60 years of age in the county;

"TD" is the total amount of money appropriated to the department for that state fiscal year to make grants, less the department's administrative expenses; and

"SR" is the number of residents at least 60 years of age in this state.

(i) Not later than February 1 of each year, the department shall make a grant to each qualifying organization that has submitted an approved application under this section. Subject to Subsections (d) and (h), the department shall make grants in an amount equal to one dollar for each meal that the organization delivered to homebound elderly or disabled persons in the county in the preceding state fiscal year that was not fully funded for by the Department of Aging and Disability Services or an area agency on aging. If more than one qualifying organization delivers meals in a county, the department shall reduce the grants proportionally to each qualifying organization in that county so that the total amount of the grants to the organizations does not exceed the amount described by Subsection (h).

(j) If the total amount of the grants made by the department under Subsection (i) is less than the amount appropriated to fund the program under this section in a state fiscal year, the department shall use the unspent funds to proportionally increase the grants to each qualifying organization.

(k) The home-delivered meal fund is an account in the general revenue fund. Money in the account may be appropriated only to the department to award grants under this section and to pay for the operation of the program under this section.

SECTION 2. As soon as practical after the effective date of this Act, the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules as required by Section 12.042, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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