HBA-CCH, MPM H.B. 2251 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2251
By: Naishtat
Human Services
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, many low-income families are ineligible for food stamps because
of the value of their motor vehicle.  If a person owns a motor vehicle
valued at more than $5,000, the value over that amount is counted against
the allowable resource limit under the Food Stamp Program.  Recent
welfare-to-work requirements make it especially important for low-income
families to have reliable transportation. However, many individuals who
make the transition from welfare to work earn low wages and still need
assistance to buy food for their families.  House Bill 2251 increases the
vehicle resource limit when determining eligibility for TANF and directs
the Texas Department of Human Services to use the TANF standards when
determining whether a person is eligible for food stamps.  

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2251 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas
Department of Human Services (DHS), in determining whether an applicant is
eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), to exclude
from the applicant's available resources the entire fair market value of
the applicant's ownership in one motor vehicle and the fair market value of
the applicant's ownership interest in any other motor vehicle, but not more
than $5,000 per motor vehicle plus or minus an amount to be determined
annually to reflect changes in the new car component of the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers. 

The bill requires DHS to apply the TANF motor vehicle allowance standards
instead of the federal food stamp motor vehicle allowance standards for
purposes of determining a person's eligibility for food stamps. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.