81R1879 KLA-D
By: Naishtat, Herrero H.B. No. 614
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to administrative and judicial review of certain decisions
about financial assistance benefits.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 531.019(a) and (e), Government Code, as
added by Chapter 1161 (H.B. 75), Acts of the 80th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2007, are amended to read as follows:
(a) In this section, "public assistance benefits" means
benefits provided under a public assistance program under Chapter
31, 32, or 33, Human Resources Code.
(e) For purposes of Section 2001.171, an applicant for or
recipient of public assistance benefits has exhausted all available
administrative remedies and a decision, including a decision under
Section 31.034 or 32.035, Human Resources Code, is final and
appealable on the date that, after a hearing:
(1) the hearing officer for the commission or a health
and human services agency reaches a final decision related to the
benefits; and
(2) the appropriate attorney completes an
administrative review of the decision and notifies the applicant or
recipient in writing of the results of that review.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an appeal of a final decision by the Health and Human Services
Commission related to financial assistance benefits under Chapter
31, Human Resources Code, that is rendered on or after the effective
date of this Act. A final decision rendered by the commission
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect on the date the decision was rendered, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.