Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1445 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Perry, et al. S.B. No. 1445
2		-	(Meza, Klick)
3	2
4	3
5	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	5		AN ACT
7	6		relating to simplified certification and recertification
8	7		requirements for certain persons under the supplemental nutrition
9	8		assistance program.
10	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	10		SECTION 1. Section 33.015(a), Human Resources Code, is
12	11		amended to read as follows:
13	12		(a) In administering the supplemental nutrition assistance
14	13		program, the commission shall, except as provided by Subsection (c)
15	14		and Section 33.019, allow a person to comply with initial
16	15		eligibility requirements, including any initial interview, and
17	16		with subsequent periodic eligibility recertification requirements
18	17		by telephone instead of through a personal appearance at commission
19	18		offices if:
20	19		(1) the person and each member of the person's
21	20		household:
22	21		(A) have no earned income; and
23	22		(B) are elderly or persons with disabilities; or
24	23		(2) the person is subject to a hardship, as determined
25	24		by commission rule.
26	25		SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code,
27	26		is amended by adding Section 33.019 to read as follows:
28	27		Sec. 33.019. SIMPLIFIED CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION
29	28		REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SNAP APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS. (a) The
30	29		commission shall develop and implement simplified certification
31	30		and recertification requirements for supplemental nutrition
32	31		assistance program benefits for individuals who are 60 years of age
33	32		or older and who reside in a household in which every individual
34	33		residing in the household is 60 years of age or older. The
35	34		simplified requirements must:
36	35		(1) allow an individual described by this section to
37	36		waive recertification interview requirements;
38	37		(2) simplify and reduce the number of verification
39	38		requirements for certifying and recertifying eligibility to
40	39		receive benefits, which must include the use of a shortened
41	40		application form; and
42	41		(3) allow the individual to remain eligible for
43	42		benefits for 36 months after certification and after each
44	43		recertification.
45	44		(b) An individual described by this section is required to:
46	45		(1) submit to the commission a change reporting form
47	46		every 12 months during the 36-month eligibility period; and
48	47		(2) report to the commission, in accordance with
49	48		federal law, when the individual receives an increase in income.
50	49		(c) The commission shall, in a manner that complies with
51	50		federal law, use data matching to help enroll in the supplemental
52	51		nutrition assistance program eligible individuals described by
53	52		this section who are receiving Medicaid benefits. The commission
54	53		may seek or use private funding or contract with a public or private
55	54		entity to carry out this section.
56	55		SECTION 3. Section 33.019, Human Resources Code, as added
57	56		by this Act, applies only to an application or recertification of
58	57		eligibility of a person for supplemental nutrition assistance
59	58		program benefits submitted on or after January 1, 2020.
60	59		SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
61	60		a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
62	61		federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
63	62		the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
64	63		authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
65	64		waiver or authorization is granted.
66	65		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.