Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3279 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R4490 GRM-F
2	2	By: Schaefer H.B. No. 3279
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to eligibility requirements for the specialized
8	8	telecommunications assistance program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 56.151(a), Utilities Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(a) The executive commissioner, after consulting with the
13	13	department, by rule shall establish a specialized
14	14	telecommunications assistance program to provide financial
15	15	assistance to individuals diagnosed by a medical professional as a
16	16	deaf individual, an individual who has an impairment of hearing, or
17	17	an individual who has an impairment of speech [with disabilities
18	18	that impair the individuals' ability to effectively access the
19	19	telephone network] to assist the individuals with the purchase of
20	20	basic specialized equipment or services to provide the individuals
21	21	with telephone network access that is functionally equivalent to
22	22	that enjoyed by individuals without disabilities of hearing or
23	23	speech. The executive commissioner may adopt rules that identify
24	24	devices and services eligible for vouchers under the program.
25	25	SECTION 2. Section 56.152, Utilities Code, is amended to
26	26	read as follows:
27	27	Sec. 56.152. ELIGIBILITY. The executive commissioner,
28	28	after consulting with the department, by rule shall prescribe
29	29	eligibility standards for individuals, including deaf individuals
30	30	and individuals who have an impairment of hearing or speech, to
31	31	receive an assistance voucher under the program. To be eligible, an
32	32	individual must:
33	33	(1) be a resident of this state;
34	34	(2) be diagnosed by a medical professional as a deaf
35	35	individual, an individual who has an impairment of hearing, or an
36	36	individual who has an impairment of speech; and
37	37	(3) have an income at or below 150 percent of the
38	38	federal poverty guidelines [with a disability that impairs the
39	39	individual's ability to effectively access the telephone network].
40	40	SECTION 3. Sections 56.153(d) and (e), Utilities Code, are
41	41	amended to read as follows:
42	42	(d) An individual who has exchanged a voucher for a
43	43	specialized telecommunications device is not eligible to receive
44	44	another voucher before the fifth anniversary of the date the
45	45	individual exchanged the previously issued voucher unless, before
46	46	that date, the recipient develops a need for a different type of
47	47	telecommunications device or service under the program because the
48	48	recipient's diagnosis has changed to the extent that the device is
49	49	no longer adequate to meet the individual's network access needs
50	50	[disability changes or the recipient acquires another disability].
51	51	(e) Except as provided by rules adopted under this
52	52	subsection, an individual is not eligible for a voucher if the
53	53	department has issued a voucher for a device or service to another
54	54	individual with the same diagnosis [type of disability] in the
55	55	individual's household. The executive commissioner, after
56	56	consulting with the department, by rule may provide for financially
57	57	independent individuals who reside in a congregate setting to be
58	58	eligible for a voucher regardless of whether another individual
59	59	living in that setting has received a voucher.
60	60	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.