Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3524 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R7270 JG-D
2	2	By: Klick H.B. No. 3524
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to simplified certification and recertification
8	8	requirements for certain persons under the supplemental nutrition
9	9	assistance program.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 33.015(a), Human Resources Code, is
12	12	amended to read as follows:
13	13	(a) In administering the supplemental nutrition assistance
14	14	program, the commission shall, except as provided by Subsection (c)
15	15	and Section 33.019, allow a person to comply with initial
16	16	eligibility requirements, including any initial interview, and
17	17	with subsequent periodic eligibility recertification requirements
18	18	by telephone instead of through a personal appearance at commission
19	19	offices if:
20	20	(1) the person and each member of the person's
21	21	household:
22	22	(A) have no earned income; and
23	23	(B) are elderly or persons with disabilities; or
24	24	(2) the person is subject to a hardship, as determined
25	25	by commission rule.
26	26	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code,
27	27	is amended by adding Section 33.019 to read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 33.019. SIMPLIFIED CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION
29	29	REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SNAP APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS. (a) The
30	30	commission shall develop and implement simplified certification
31	31	and recertification requirements for individuals who are 60 years
32	32	of age or older and who reside in a household in which every
33	33	individual residing in the household is 60 years of age or older.
34	34	The simplified requirements must:
35	35	(1) allow an individual described by this section to
36	36	waive initial certification and recertification interview
37	37	requirements;
38	38	(2) simplify and reduce the number of verification
39	39	requirements for certifying and recertifying eligibility to
40	40	receive benefits, which must include the use of a shortened
41	41	application form; and
42	42	(3) allow the individual to remain eligible for
43	43	benefits for 36 months after certification and after each
44	44	recertification.
45	45	(b) An individual described by this section is not required
46	46	to report to the commission during the 36-month eligibility period
47	47	unless the individual receives a significant increase in income or
48	48	assets during that period.
49	49	(c) The commission shall, in a manner that complies with
50	50	federal law, use data matching to help enroll in the supplemental
51	51	nutrition assistance program eligible individuals described by
52	52	this section who are receiving Medicaid or Medicare benefits.
53	53	SECTION 3. Section 33.019, Human Resources Code, as added
54	54	by this Act, applies only to an application or recertification of
55	55	eligibility of a person for supplemental nutrition assistance
56	56	program benefits submitted on or after January 1, 2020.
57	57	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
58	58	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
59	59	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
60	60	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
61	61	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
62	62	waiver or authorization is granted.
63	63	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.