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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility for supplemental nutrition assistance |
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program benefits following certain parental truancy convictions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 25.093, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows: |
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(h-1) If the defendant is a recipient of supplemental |
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nutrition assistance program benefits, the court in which a |
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conviction, deferred adjudication, or deferred disposition for an |
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offense under Subsection (a) occurs shall provide the defendant a |
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written warning that advises the defendant of the collateral |
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consequences under Section 33.018(d), Human Resources Code, that |
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are associated with a second or subsequent conviction under |
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Subsection (a). The executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall prescribe the form and contents of the |
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written warning required under this subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Section 33.018, Human Resources Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) Notwithstanding any other law, if a person who is |
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receiving supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits is |
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convicted of an offense under Section 25.093(a), Education Code, |
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the person's supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits |
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shall be reduced in the following manner: |
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(1) if the person is convicted two times of an offense |
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under Section 25.093(a), Education Code, the person is eligible to |
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receive a monthly benefit allotment equal to only 75 percent of the |
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monthly benefit allotment the person was determined eligible for |
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under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; |
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(2) if the person is convicted three times of an |
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offense under Section 25.093(a), Education Code, the person is |
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eligible to receive a monthly benefit equal to only 50 percent of |
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the monthly benefit allotment the person was determined eligible |
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for under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and |
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(3) if the person is convicted four or more times of an |
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offense under Section 25.093(a), Education Code, the person is |
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ineligible for the supplemental nutrition assistance program. |
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SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |