BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 620 |
By: Bonnen, Greg |
Human Services |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) are federal assistance programs administered by the state that provide benefits to eligible participants to help buy food and other authorized items. The benefits are distributed monthly to a recipient's electronic benefits card and when the individual pays for approved SNAP or TANF items the individual swipes the benefits card through an electronic device and enters a unique personal identification number. The amount of the purchase is then automatically subtracted from the appropriate benefit account. There is concern that the lack of a requirement to display photo identification beyond the point of issuance of a recipient's benefit card has led to fraudulent activity. C.S.H.B. 620 seeks to address this concern to enhance the integrity of these assistance programs.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 620 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to ensure that each electronic benefits transfer card used by a recipient or other authorized person for purposes of receiving benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or the supplemental nutrition assistance program displays the name and photograph of the recipient or other authorized person, as appropriate. The bill requires HHSC, not later than January 1, 2016, to ensure that any applicable electronic benefits transfer cards used on or after that date conform to the bill's provisions.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2015.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 620 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to changes made by S.B. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, which became effective April 2, 2015.
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