HBA-NRS H.B. 102 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 102 By: Maxey Human Services 8/9/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law provides for the use of an electronic imaging program with adult and teen parent applicants for and recipients of financial assistance and services from the Texas Department of Human Services. A report by the LBJ School of Public Affairs, entitled "Lone Star Image System Evaluation: Final Report,"found that one effect of the pilot program was to induce temporary exits among food stamp recipients by creating undue difficulties in the application process. House Bill 102 includes recipients of and applicants for food stamp benefits as participants in the program and allows an exemption from program participation for the elderly and the disabled. 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 31.0325, Human Resources Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 102 amends the Human Resources Code to include adult and teen parent applicants for and recipients of food stamp benefits in the electronic imaging program. The bill requires the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), in adopting rules, to provide for an exemption from the program's electronic imaging requirements for a person who is elderly or disabled if compliance would cause an undue burden to that person, and to establish criteria for such an exemption. EFFECTIVE DATE June 14, 2001