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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the operation and efficiency of the eligibility |
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determination process for supplemental nutrition assistance |
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program benefits. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, is amended by |
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designating Sections 33.0005 through 33.028 as Subchapter A and |
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adding a subchapter heading to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER A. NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN GENERAL |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter B to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER B. SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: |
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ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION PROCESS EFFICIENCY |
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Sec. 33.051. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Supplemental nutrition assistance program" means |
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the nutritional assistance program formerly referred to as the food |
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stamp program. |
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Sec. 33.052. APPLICATION ASSISTANCE. (a) The commission |
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shall develop procedures to ensure that: |
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(1) clear guidance on program eligibility |
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requirements is provided to supplemental nutrition assistance |
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applicants and prospective applicants and mechanisms are |
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established, including Internet and e-mail mechanisms, as |
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appropriate, by which applicants can obtain answers to basic |
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program-related questions; and |
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(2) information is provided to each applicant in |
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person, by e-mail, by telephone, or through the mail, as |
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appropriate, about information the applicant is required to submit |
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for purposes of the eligibility determination process. |
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(b) The commission shall consider the feasibility and |
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cost-effectiveness of using office personnel or an automated system |
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or systems to support the eligibility determination process by |
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contacting an applicant in advance of an applicant's scheduled |
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interview to remind the applicant of the interview and the |
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documentation that must be presented at the interview. |
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Sec. 33.053. USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE EFFICIENCY AND |
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FRAUD DETECTION. (a) The commission shall consider the |
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feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using readily available |
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document scanning technology to reduce storage and maintenance |
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costs and potential loss of data by creating electronic case files |
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for supplemental nutrition assistance cases instead of maintaining |
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physical files for those cases. The commission shall use that |
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technology if determined feasible and cost-effective. |
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(b) The commission shall implement, if feasible and |
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cost-effective, a risk scoring program for supplemental nutrition |
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assistance applications to streamline the eligibility |
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determination process, reduce errors, and strengthen fraud |
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detection. A risk scoring program implemented by the commission |
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must be capable of ranking applications based on complexity so |
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that: |
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(1) more experienced eligibility determination staff |
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members can be used to process more difficult cases and cases with |
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fraud characteristics; and |
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(2) applications ranked as low-risk on fraud |
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characteristics can be processed more expeditiously. |
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Sec. 33.054. WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT. The commission shall |
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improve its management of supplemental nutrition assistance |
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eligibility determination staff by: |
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(1) establishing clear performance expectations that |
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can serve as the basis for performance assessments; |
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(2) planning for anticipated staffing needs; |
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(3) revising policies regarding overtime and accrual |
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of compensatory time to ensure that eligibility determination staff |
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members have access to supervisors as necessary; |
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(4) assessing the effectiveness of training provided |
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to new eligibility determination staff members; and |
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(5) evaluating the compensation of eligibility |
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determination staff members to determine if the compensation is |
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sufficient to recruit qualified staff members and retain |
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experienced staff members. |
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Sec. 33.055. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION. (a) The |
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commission, in conjunction with state, regional, and local |
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eligibility determination offices, shall identify eligibility |
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determination program performance indicators with respect to which |
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data should periodically be collected. The commission shall |
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implement a process for collecting data on the identified |
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performance indicators. |
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(b) The commission shall provide periodic management |
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reports generated by the automated eligibility system to |
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eligibility determination offices. The reports must include |
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information regarding the number of pending supplemental nutrition |
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assistance applications and the number of those applications that |
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have not been processed within applicable timeliness standards. |
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(c) The commission shall use data collected under |
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Subsection (a) and the reports described by Subsection (b) to |
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develop and assess strategies for: |
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(1) streamlining the supplemental nutrition |
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assistance eligibility determination process; |
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(2) improving timeliness of eligibility |
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determinations; and |
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(3) accommodating increases in applications received. |
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SECTION 3. To the extent available for this purpose, the |
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Health and Human Services Commission shall use supplemental federal |
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funding provided for the administration of the supplemental |
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nutrition assistance program to implement Subchapter B, Chapter 33, |
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Human Resources Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |