| 1 | 1 | | By: West S.B. No. 1643 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the placement of children with certain relatives or |
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| 7 | 7 | | other designated caregivers. |
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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 31.0041, Human Resources Code is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding subsection (b), to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 31.0041. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR |
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| 12 | 12 | | CERTAIN PERSONS. (a) To the extent funds are appropriated for |
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| 13 | 13 | | this purpose, the department may provide supplemental financial |
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| 14 | 14 | | assistance in addition to the amount of financial assistance |
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| 15 | 15 | | granted for the support of a dependent child under Section 31.003 to |
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| 16 | 16 | | a person who: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) is 45 years of age or older; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) is the grandparent of the dependent child, as |
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| 19 | 19 | | defined by Section 31.002, who lives at the person's residence; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) is the primary caretaker of the dependent child; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) has a family income that is at or below 200 percent |
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| 22 | 22 | | of the federal poverty level; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (5) does not have resources that exceed the amount |
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| 24 | 24 | | allowed for financial assistance under this chapter. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) Supplemental financial assistance provided to a person |
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| 26 | 26 | | under this section may include one or more cash payments, not to |
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| 27 | 27 | | exceed a total of $1,000 for each child. The payment for placement |
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| 28 | 28 | | of a sibling group must be a least $1,000 for the group, but may not |
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| 29 | 29 | | exceed $1,000 for each child in the group after determination of |
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| 30 | 30 | | eligibility for supplemental financial assistance under this |
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| 31 | 31 | | section. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect August 31, 2015. |
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