Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1743 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 1743
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to a memorandum of understanding between the Health and
6	6	Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of Criminal
7	7	Justice to assess the eligibility of certain inmates for
8	8	supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits on discharge or
9	9	release from confinement.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code,
12	12	is amended by adding Section 33.0181 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 33.0181. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING
14	14	ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS FOR CERTAIN INMATES. (a) In this
15	15	section, "inmate" means an individual confined in a facility
16	16	operated by or under contract with the Texas Department of Criminal
17	17	Justice.
18	18	(b) The commission and the Texas Department of Criminal
19	19	Justice shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the
20	20	purpose of ensuring that an inmate who is likely to be eligible for
21	21	supplemental nutrition assistance benefits on discharge or release
22	22	on parole, mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon is assessed
23	23	by the commission for eligibility for those benefits before the
24	24	inmate's discharge or release.
25	25	(c) The memorandum of understanding required by this
26	26	section must:
27	27	(1) establish a procedure through which the commission
28	28	shall accept and process supplemental nutrition assistance program
29	29	applications from inmates; and
30	30	(2) define the roles and responsibilities of each
31	31	agency under the memorandum.
32	32	(d) The memorandum of understanding required by Subsection
33	33	(b) must be tailored to achieve the goal of ensuring that an inmate
34	34	described by Subsection (b) who is determined eligible by the
35	35	commission for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits
36	36	may begin receiving services under the program at the time of the
37	37	inmate's discharge or release on parole, mandatory supervision, or
38	38	conditional pardon.
39	39	(e) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
40	40	to implement this section.
41	41	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
42	42	of this Act, the Health and Human Services Commission and Texas
43	43	Department of Criminal Justice shall enter into the memorandum of
44	44	understanding required by Section 33.0181, Human Resources Code, as
45	45	added by this Act.
46	46	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
47	47	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
48	48	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
49	49	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
50	50	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
51	51	waiver or authorization is granted.
52	52	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
53	53	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
54	54	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
55	55	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
56	56	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
57	57	______________________________ ______________________________
58	58	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
59	59	I certify that H.B. No. 1743 was passed by the House on April
60	60	21, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 127, Nays 13, 2 present, not
61	61	voting.
62	62	______________________________
63	63	Chief Clerk of the House
64	64	I certify that H.B. No. 1743 was passed by the Senate on May
65	65	22, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4.
66	66	______________________________
67	67	Secretary of the Senate
68	68	APPROVED: _____________________
69	69	Date
70	70	_____________________
71	71	Governor