HBA-NLM C.S.H.B. 3470 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3470
By: Olivo
Human Services
4/23/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The State of Maine created the Parents as Scholars Program to assist low
income parent who qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in
obtaining a postsecondary degree.  No incentive programs such as the
Parents as Scholars Program currently exist  in Texas.  C.S.H.B. 3470
requires the Texas Department of Human Services (department), by rule, to
establish a student financial aid pilot program to be entitled the Parents
as Scholars pilot program, under which a person eligible for financial
assistance receives, in lieu of financial assistance, a package of benefits
designed to assist the person in obtaining a post-secondary degree from an
institution of higher education. In addition, this bill provides that the
benefits provided may include assistance with payment of tuition and fees,
payment of the cost of textbooks and other educational supplies, and
payment of other costs associated with enrollment in an institution of
higher education. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Department of Human Services
in SECTION 1 (Section 31.045, Human Resources Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, by
adding Section 31.045, as follows: 

Sec. 31.045.  PARENTS AS SCHOLARS PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas
Department of Human Services (department), by rule, to establish a student
financial aid pilot program to be entitled the Parents as Scholars pilot
program, under which a person eligible for financial assistance receives,
in lieu of financial assistance, a package of benefits designed to assist
the person in obtaining a post-secondary degree from an institution of
higher education, as defined by Section 61.003 (Definitions), Education
Code.  Provides that the benefits provided may include assistance with
payment of tuition and fees, payment of the cost of textbooks and other
educational supplies, and payment of other costs associated with enrollment
in an institution of higher education. 

(b)  Requires the department, by rule, to establish the eligibility
criteria set forth in this subsection. 

(c)  Provides that a program participant is eligible for medical assistance
under Chapter 32 (Medical Assistance Program), Human Resources Code, and
support services under Section 31.010 (Support Services), Human Resources
Code, in the same manner as a person receiving financial assistance. 

(d)  Requires the department to establish time limits and other conditions
applicable to a program participant under certain provisions. 

(e)  Requires the department, by rule, to fund the program from state funds
specifically appropriated for that purpose or from other state funds
otherwise available to the department for the program. Authorizes the
department to accept gifts and grants from  public or private sources to be
used to fund the program. Requires the department to establish and
administer the program in the manner provided by this subsection. 

(f)  Requires the department to submit to the legislature a report relating
to the pilot program established under this section no later than January
15, 2003, and specifies the required contents for that report. 

(g)  Provides that this section expires September 1, 2003.

SECTION 2. Requires a state agency, if before implementing any provision of
this Act the state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
federal agency is necessary for implementation, to request the waiver or
authorization,  and  authorizes the state agency to delay implementing that
provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3470 modifies the original in SECTION 1 (proposed Section
31.05(a), Human Resources Code) by clarifying that the program required to
be established by the Texas Department of Human Services (department), by
rule, is a student financial aid pilot program to be entitled the Parents
as Scholars pilot program 

C.S.H.B. 3470 modifies the original in SECTION 1 (proposed Section
31.05(e), Human Resources Code) by including a provision to authorize the
department to accept gifts and grants from public or private sources to be
used to fund the program.