| 1 | 1 | | 81R10251 KLA-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Naishtat H.B. No. 2625 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to financial assistance provided to certain persons. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 31.003, Human Resources Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (d) During the state fiscal year beginning September 1, |
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| 12 | 12 | | 2009, the one-time emergency assistance payment made to an |
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| 13 | 13 | | applicant for financial assistance who is eligible for, but opts to |
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| 14 | 14 | | not receive, financial assistance must be in the amount of $1,500. |
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| 15 | 15 | | This subsection expires September 1, 2010. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (e) In addition to any other financial assistance payments |
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| 17 | 17 | | made, the Health and Human Services Commission shall provide a |
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| 18 | 18 | | one-time supplemental assistance payment of $500 to each applicant |
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| 19 | 19 | | for financial assistance who is determined eligible for and begins |
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| 20 | 20 | | receiving that assistance for the person and the person's family |
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| 21 | 21 | | during the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2009, and to |
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| 22 | 22 | | each person whose eligibility for financial assistance provided to |
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| 23 | 23 | | or for the person and the person's family is recertified during the |
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| 24 | 24 | | state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2009. This subsection |
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| 25 | 25 | | expires September 1, 2010. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 31.0032, Human Resources Code, is |
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| 27 | 27 | | amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (f) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), during the state fiscal |
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| 29 | 29 | | year beginning September 1, 2009, the Health and Human Services |
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| 30 | 30 | | Commission may not apply or continue to apply a sanction |
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| 31 | 31 | | terminating financial assistance as required by that subsection if, |
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| 32 | 32 | | during the month in which that sanction would be applied, the |
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| 33 | 33 | | unemployment rate in this state exceeds five percent. The |
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| 34 | 34 | | commission shall instead apply as a sanction during that month a |
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| 35 | 35 | | reduction of $25 in the total amount of financial assistance that |
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| 36 | 36 | | would be provided under this chapter to or for a person and the |
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| 37 | 37 | | person's family if no sanction were applied. This subsection |
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| 38 | 38 | | expires September 1, 2010. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. Section 31.0041, Human Resources Code, is |
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| 40 | 40 | | amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), supplemental |
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| 42 | 42 | | financial assistance provided to a person under Subsection (b) |
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| 43 | 43 | | during the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2009, must be in |
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| 44 | 44 | | the amount of $1,500. This subsection expires September 1, 2010. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply to: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) a person who applies for financial assistance |
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| 47 | 47 | | under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, on or after the effective |
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| 48 | 48 | | date of this Act; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) a person who receives financial assistance for the |
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| 50 | 50 | | person or the person's family on or after the effective date of this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act, regardless of whether the person's eligibility for that |
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| 52 | 52 | | assistance was determined before, on, or after the effective date |
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| 53 | 53 | | of this Act. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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