BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1218
85R9559 LED-F	By: Miles
	Health & Human Services
	4/3/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG) Act was recently reauthorized by Congress. Under the new parameters of the federal law, which went into effect on October 1, 2016, all recipients of subsidized child care assistance are guaranteed to receive 12 months of child care assistance as long as their income does not exceed the federal income limit, which is 85 percent of the state median income for the same family size. Recipients are eligible for an additional 12-month period as long as their income continues to fall within the income guidelines. In addition, states may not make any adjustments to the parent copayment during the 12-month period, unless the changes would result in a reduction to the parent.

Parents participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Choices program must receive priority of service for child care assistance under the CCDBG and have no parent share of cost. Section 31.0035, Human Resources Code, established Transitional Child-Care for 12 months for former TANF recipients who went to work. It also instructed the Texas Workforce Commission to adopt a system for parent copayments. Transitional Child-Care provisions are no longer needed because federal law now establishes a 12-month eligibility period and eliminates states' flexibility regarding the transitional period and copayments.

S.B. 1218 amends the Human Resources Code to repeal Section 31.0035 relating to Transitional Child-Care Services. S.B. 1218 also amends Section 31.012(c), Human Resources Code, by removing a reference to Section 31.0035(b), Human Resources Code, which the bill would repeal.

As proposed, S.B. 1218 amends current law relating to transitional child-care services in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the Texas Workforce Commission rescinded in SECTION 2 (Section 31.0035, Human Resources Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 31.012(c), Human Resources Code, as follows:

(c) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), notwithstanding Section 32.0255(b) (relating to authorizing HHSC except as provided by Section 31.012(c), to provide medical assistance only until the earlier of certain dates), rather than Sections 31.0035(b) (relating to authorizing the Texas Workforce Commission to provide child-care services only until the earlier of a certain date) and 32.0255(b), to provide to a certain person six months of transitional benefits in addition to the applicable limit prescribed by Section 31.0065 (Time-Limited Benefits).

SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 31.0035 (Transitional Child-Care Services), Human Resources Code.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.