Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3859 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R7534 JSL-D
2	2	By: Allen H.B. No. 3859
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to exemptions from the application of certain financial
8	8	assistance eligibility requirements for certain grandparents.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
11	11	is amended by adding Section 31.0052 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 31.0052. EXEMPTIONS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN
13	13	GRANDPARENTS. (a) This section applies only to a grandparent who is
14	14	at least 60 years of age and seeking or receiving financial
15	15	assistance benefits on behalf of a dependent child under this
16	16	subchapter or receiving supplemental financial assistance under
17	17	Section 31.0041.
18	18	(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the executive
19	19	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission by rule
20	20	shall prescribe circumstances under which good cause exists for
21	21	exempting a person to whom this section applies from the
22	22	application of certain financial assistance eligibility
23	23	requirements. Rules adopted under this section must provide that if
24	24	good cause is found:
25	25	(1) for purposes of determining the amount of
26	26	financial assistance granted to a person to whom this section
27	27	applies for the support of a dependent child or determining whether
28	28	the family meets household income and resource requirements for
29	29	financial assistance under this chapter, the department:
30	30	(A) may not consider any of the person's assets;
31	31	and
32	32	(B) shall deduct from the person's income and
33	33	resources reasonable expenses associated with supporting the
34	34	dependent child; and
35	35	(2) the department shall exempt a person to whom this
36	36	section applies from the application of time limits imposed by
37	37	Section 31.0065 on the receipt of benefits until the dependent
38	38	child's 18th birthday.
39	39	SECTION 2. As soon as possible after the effective date of
40	40	this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
41	41	Services Commission shall adopt the rules required under Section
42	42	31.0052, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
43	43	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an
44	44	initial determination or redetermination of eligibility of a person
45	45	for financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
46	46	that is made on or after the effective date of this Act.
47	47	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
48	48	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
49	49	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
50	50	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
51	51	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
52	52	waiver or authorization is granted.
53	53	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
54	54	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
55	55	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
56	56	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
57	57	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.