Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB723 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	By: Perry, et al. S.B. No. 723
2	2	(King of Taylor)
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to mandatory participation in certain TANF employment and
8	8	other programs by certain persons.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 31.0031(a) and (d), Human Resources
11	11	Code, as amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature,
12	12	Regular Session, 2015, are amended to read as follows:
13	13	(a) The commission shall require each adult recipient and
14	14	nonrecipient parent to sign a bill of responsibilities that defines
15	15	the responsibilities of the state and of the recipient or
16	16	nonrecipient parent, as applicable, and encourages personal
17	17	responsibility. The commission shall explain to the applicant the
18	18	work requirements and time-limited benefits in addition to the
19	19	other provisions of the agreement before the applicant signs the
20	20	agreement. The commission shall provide each applicant with a copy
21	21	of the signed agreement. The agreement shall include pertinent
22	22	case information, including the case number and a listing of the
23	23	state's benefits.
24	24	(d) The responsibility agreement shall require that:
25	25	(1) the parent of a dependent child cooperate with the
26	26	commission and the Title IV-D agency if necessary to establish the
27	27	paternity of the dependent child and to establish or enforce child
28	28	support;
29	29	(2) if adequate and accessible providers of the
30	30	services are available in the geographic area and subject to the
31	31	availability of funds, each dependent child, as appropriate,
32	32	complete early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment
33	33	checkups on schedule and receive the immunization series prescribed
34	34	by Section 161.004, Health and Safety Code, unless the child is
35	35	exempt under that section;
36	36	(3) each adult recipient, or teen parent recipient who
37	37	has completed the requirements regarding school attendance in
38	38	Subdivision (6), not voluntarily terminate paid employment of at
39	39	least 30 hours each week without good cause in accordance with rules
40	40	adopted by the executive commissioner;
41	41	(4) each adult recipient for whom a needs assessment
42	42	is conducted participate in an activity to enable that person to
43	43	become self-sufficient by:
44	44	(A) continuing the person's education or
45	45	becoming literate;
46	46	(B) entering a job placement or employment skills
47	47	training program;
48	48	(C) serving as a volunteer in the person's
49	49	community; or
50	50	(D) serving in a community work program or other
51	51	work program approved by the commission;
52	52	(5) each caretaker relative or parent receiving
53	53	assistance not use, sell, or possess marihuana or a controlled
54	54	substance in violation of Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or
55	55	abuse alcohol;
56	56	(6) each dependent child younger than 18 years of age
57	57	or teen parent younger than 19 years of age attend school regularly,
58	58	unless the child has a high school diploma or high school
59	59	equivalency certificate or is specifically exempted from school
60	60	attendance under Section 25.086, Education Code;
61	61	(7) each recipient comply with commission rules
62	62	regarding proof of school attendance; [and]
63	63	(8) each recipient or nonrecipient parent, as
64	64	applicable, attend appropriate parenting skills training classes,
65	65	as determined by a [the] needs assessment; and
66	66	(9) each nonrecipient parent, other than a
67	67	nonrecipient parent exempt from the requirements, including a
68	68	nonrecipient parent subject to Section 31.012(c) or (g), satisfy
69	69	mandatory employment or employment training requirements under
70	70	Section 31.012.
71	71	SECTION 2. Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, is amended
72	72	by amending Subsection (a), as amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the
73	73	84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, and adding Subsection (g)
74	74	to read as follows:
75	75	(a) The Health and Human Services Commission shall require
76	76	that, during any one-month period in which an adult is receiving or
77	77	the child of a nonrecipient parent is receiving financial
78	78	assistance under this chapter, the adult or nonrecipient parent, as
79	79	applicable, shall during that period:
80	80	(1) work not less than 30 hours a week; or
81	81	(2) participate for not less than 20 hours a week in an
82	82	activity established under a Temporary Assistance for Needy
83	83	Families employment program established under Part A, Subchapter
84	84	IV, Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 601 et seq.).
85	85	(g) A nonrecipient parent who receives Supplemental
86	86	Security Income (SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.
87	87	is not subject to the requirements of this section. The Texas
88	88	Workforce Commission may provide services to the nonrecipient
89	89	parent under this chapter in accordance with rules adopted by the
90	90	executive commissioner.
91	91	SECTION 3. Section 31.0126(c), Human Resources Code, as
92	92	amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular
93	93	Session, 2015, is amended to read as follows:
94	94	(c) In adopting rules governing a program prescribed by this
95	95	section, the executive commissioner shall:
96	96	(1) establish [the] criteria consistent with this
97	97	chapter for determining which recipients and nonrecipient parents
98	98	who are eligible to participate in the Temporary Assistance for
99	99	Needy Families employment programs established under Part A,
100	100	Subchapter IV, Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 601 et seq.),
101	101	may be required to participate in a particular program; and
102	102	(2) ensure that a recipient or a nonrecipient parent
103	103	who is incapable of participating in a particular program is not
104	104	required to participate in that program.
105	105	SECTION 4. Sections 31.0135(a) and (b), Human Resources
106	106	Code, as amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature,
107	107	Regular Session, 2015, are amended to read as follows:
108	108	(a) The commission, in cooperation with the Texas Education
109	109	Agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas
110	110	A&M AgriLife Extension Service, or any other public or private
111	111	entity, shall develop a parenting skills training program to assist
112	112	a recipient of assistance under this chapter, including a child who
113	113	receives assistance on behalf of a dependent child, and a
114	114	nonrecipient parent. The program shall include nutrition
115	115	education, budgeting and survival skills, and instruction on the
116	116	necessity of physical and emotional safety for children.
117	117	(b) The commission shall require that a caretaker relative
118	118	or parent who is receiving assistance under this chapter on behalf
119	119	of a dependent child, including a nonrecipient parent, receive
120	120	appropriate parenting skills training as needed. The training must
121	121	include one or more components of the parenting skills training
122	122	program that the commission determines will be useful to the
123	123	caretaker relative or parent.
124	124	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a
125	125	person receiving financial assistance, including a nonrecipient
126	126	parent, as defined by Section 31.0021, Human Resources Code, on or
127	127	after the effective date of this Act, regardless of the date the
128	128	determination of eligibility for that assistance was made.
129	129	SECTION 6. If before implementing any provision of this Act
130	130	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
131	131	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
132	132	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
133	133	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
134	134	waiver or authorization is granted.
135	135	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.