| 1 | 1 | | 89R2983 JG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lalani H.B. No. 570 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to informing certain housing assistance applicants about |
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| 10 | 10 | | the availability of certain public assistance programs. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 545, Government Code, as |
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| 13 | 13 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 545.0059 to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 545.0059. NOTIFYING CERTAIN HOUSING APPLICANTS ABOUT |
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| 16 | 16 | | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. (a) In this section: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Housing |
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| 18 | 18 | | and Community Affairs. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Housing choice voucher program" means the housing |
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| 20 | 20 | | choice voucher program under Section 8, United States Housing Act |
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| 21 | 21 | | of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Section 1437f). |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) "Public assistance program" includes: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) Medicaid; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) the child health plan program; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (C) the financial assistance program under |
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| 26 | 26 | | Chapter 31, Human Resources Code; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (D) the nutritional assistance programs under |
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| 28 | 28 | | Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, including the supplemental |
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| 29 | 29 | | nutrition assistance program under that chapter; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (E) other programs administered and identified |
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| 31 | 31 | | by the commission. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) The commission in collaboration with the department and |
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| 33 | 33 | | public housing authorities shall develop and implement a process |
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| 34 | 34 | | for screening applications for participation in the housing choice |
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| 35 | 35 | | voucher program to identify individuals, including household |
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| 36 | 36 | | members referenced in the application, who may be eligible for |
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| 37 | 37 | | benefits under a public assistance program. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) An individual who is identified as potentially eligible |
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| 39 | 39 | | for benefits under a public assistance program must be: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) notified of each program for which the individual |
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| 41 | 41 | | may be eligible; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) provided with information on how to apply for and |
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| 43 | 43 | | obtain benefits under each program. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (d) The commission and department shall enter into a |
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| 45 | 45 | | memorandum of understanding to implement this section. The |
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| 46 | 46 | | memorandum must specify the roles and duties of each agency with |
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| 47 | 47 | | respect to carrying out this section. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 49 | 49 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 50 | 50 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 51 | 51 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 52 | 52 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 53 | 53 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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