BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 132

By: Minjarez

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the financial responsibility associated with caring for a child discourages some people from becoming a relative caretaker of a dependent child. H.B. 132 seeks to address this issue by expanding the pool of relative caretakers who are eligible to receive supplemental financial assistance for the support of a dependent child under the temporary assistance for needy families program.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY  

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 132 amends the Human Resources Code to lower from 45 years of age to 25 years of age the minimum age requirement for an otherwise eligible person to receive supplemental financial assistance under the temporary assistance for needy families program (TANF) in addition to the amount of financial assistance granted for the support of a dependent child and to extend eligibility to receive such supplemental financial assistance to an aunt, uncle, sister, or brother of a dependent child who lives at the person's residence, provided the person meets eligibility requirements.

H.B. 132 includes the aunt, uncle, sister, or brother of a child receiving TANF benefits among the persons who are eligible to serve as a protective payee, under the process developed by rule of the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and implemented by HHSC, to receive and use the assistance on behalf of the child and to apply for financial assistance and be interviewed instead of the child's parent at any subsequent review of eligibility required by HHSC. The bill requires a person serving as a protective payee of a child receiving TANF benefits to be at least 25 years of age.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.