HBA-DMD S.B. 1423 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1423 By: West Human Services 4/19/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Human Services (department) estimates that there are approximately 25,000 cases where a person other than a parent of a child is the primary caretaker for that child, with 18,000 of those cases consisting of grandparents as the primary caretakers. Most grandparents are older and have limited resources to adequately support their grandchildren. S.B. 1423 specifies the persons to whom the department is required to provide supplemental financial assistance in addition to the amount of financial assistance granted for the support of a dependent child. This bill requires the department to inform an applicant for financial assistance who meets the eligibility requirements of the availability of supplemental financial assistance. This bill also provides that a grandparent or grandparents are not eligible for supplemental financial assistance if their annual household family income exceeds $50,000. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, by adding Section 31.0041, as follows: Sec. 31.0041. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS. (a) Specifies the persons to whom the Department of Human Services (department) is required to provide supplemental financial assistance in addition to the amount of financial assistance granted for the support of a dependent child under Section 31.003 (Amount of Financial Assistance), Human Resources Code. (b) Specifies the provisions included in supplemental financial assistance provided to a person for the support of a dependent child under this section. (c) Requires the department to inform an applicant for financial assistance under this chapter who meets the eligibility requirements under Subsection (a) of the availability of supplemental financial assistance. (d) Requires the department to maintain complete records and compile statistics regarding the number of households that receive supplemental financial assistance under this section. (e) Provides that a grandparent or grandparents are not eligible for supplemental financial assistance under this section if their annual household family income exceeds $50,000. SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, by adding Section 40.070, as follows: Sec. 40.070. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CERTAIN FAMILIES. (a) Specifies requirements for the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS), if DPRS places a child who is in the conservatorship of the state in the home of a grandparent of the child. (b) Requires DPRS to maintain complete records and compile statistics regarding the number of children who are placed by DPRS in the home of a grandparent of the child. SECTION 3. Provides that if before implementing any provision of this Act a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected by the provision is required to request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. SECTION 4.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 5.Emergency clause.