BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3931

By: Meza

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that elderly people are required to personally attend an interview for both certification and recertification for SNAP and that simplified requirements would be helpful. C.S.H.B. 3931 seeks to provide for the simplification of those requirements for certain individuals 60 years of age or older.

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.

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.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3931 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to develop and implement simplified supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) certification and recertification requirements for individuals who are 60 years of age or older and who reside in a household in which every individual residing in the household is 60 years of age or older. The simplified requirements must:

· allow such an individual to waive recertification interview requirements;

· simplify and reduce the number of verification requirements for certifying and recertifying eligibility to receive benefits, which must include the use of a shortened application form; and

· allow the individual to remain eligible for SNAP benefits for 36 months after certification and after each recertification.

The bill establishes that an individual to whom the bill applies is required to submit to HHSC a change reporting form every 12 months during the 36-month eligibility period and report to HHSC, in accordance with federal law, when the individual receives an increase in income. The bill requires HHSC, in a manner that complies with federal law, to use data matching to help enroll in SNAP certain eligible individuals who are receiving Medicaid benefits.

C.S.H.B. 3931 authorizes HHSC to seek or use private funding or contract with a public or private entity to carry out the bill's provisions, which apply only to an application or recertification of eligibility of a person for SNAP benefits submitted on or after January 1, 2020.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3931 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not require the simplified certification and recertification requirements to allow an individual to waive initial certification interview requirements.

The substitute does not include a requirement for an applicable individual to report to HHSC during the 36-month eligibility period only if the individual receives a significant increase in income or assets during that period. The substitute requires such an individual instead to submit to HHSC a change reporting form every 12 months during that eligibility period and to report to HHSC in accordance with federal law when the individual receives any increase in income.

The substitute does not include a requirement for HHSC to use data matching to help enroll in SNAP eligible individuals who are receiving Medicare benefits.

The substitute includes an authorization for HHSC to seek or use private funding or contract with a public or private entity to carry out the bill's provisions.