| 1 | 1 | | 87R7116 JG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Romero, Jr. H.B. No. 1449 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the exclusion of certain resources in determining |
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| 8 | 8 | | eligibility for financial assistance and supplemental nutrition |
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| 9 | 9 | | assistance program benefits. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 31.032(d), Human Resources Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (d) In determining whether an applicant is eligible for |
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| 14 | 14 | | assistance, the commission shall exclude from the applicant's |
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| 15 | 15 | | available resources: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) $5,000 [$1,000] for the applicant's household, |
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| 17 | 17 | | including a household in which there is a person with a disability |
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| 18 | 18 | | or a person who is at least 60 years of age; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) each [the fair market value of the applicant's |
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| 20 | 20 | | ownership interest in a] motor vehicle in which the applicant or a |
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| 21 | 21 | | member of the applicant's household has an ownership interest[, but |
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| 22 | 22 | | not more than $5,000 plus or minus an amount to be determined |
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| 23 | 23 | | annually beginning on October 1, 1997, to reflect changes in the new |
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| 24 | 24 | | car component of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers |
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| 25 | 25 | | published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics]. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, |
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| 27 | 27 | | is amended by adding Section 33.021 to read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 33.021. EXCLUSION OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN DETERMINING |
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| 29 | 29 | | SNAP ELIGIBILITY. In determining the eligibility of an applicant |
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| 30 | 30 | | for or recertifying the eligibility of a recipient of supplemental |
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| 31 | 31 | | nutrition assistance program benefits, the commission shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | exclude from the applicant's available resources each motor vehicle |
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| 33 | 33 | | in which the applicant or recipient or a member of the applicant's |
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| 34 | 34 | | or recipient's household has an ownership interest. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) an initial determination or redetermination of |
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| 37 | 37 | | eligibility of a person for financial assistance under Chapter 31, |
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| 38 | 38 | | Human Resources Code, that is made on or after the effective date of |
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| 39 | 39 | | this Act; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) an initial determination or recertification of |
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| 41 | 41 | | eligibility of a person for the supplemental nutrition assistance |
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| 42 | 42 | | program under Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, that is made on or |
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| 43 | 43 | | after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 45 | 45 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 46 | 46 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 47 | 47 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 48 | 48 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 49 | 49 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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