LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 15, 2013

TO:	Honorable Richard Peña Raymond, Chair, House Committee on Human Services
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3631 by Canales (Relating to the expunction of unused supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Chapter 33, Human Resources Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to expunge supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits that have not been used by the recipient after a period of 90 days and to credit the expunged benefits to the fund or account from which the benefits were appropriated.

HHSC is not appropriated SNAP benefit funds, which are all Federal Funds. Any expunged benefits would be returned to the federal SNAP agency. Current federal regulation requires HHSC to expunge unspent benefits after a peiod of one year. HHSC would be required to request a waiver from the federal SNAP agency to implement the provisions of the bill. HHSC anticipates any work resulting from implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

529 Health and Human Services Commission

LBB Staff:

UP, CL, ES, VJC