HBA-NRS H.B. 1003 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1003
By: Naishtat
Human Services
2/25/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 1995, the 74th Texas Legislature enacted welfare reform. Rather than
immediately conform with federal welfare reform regulations enacted in
1996, the state was allowed to take advantage of a waiver option. When the
waiver expires in March 2002, the state may exempt up to 20 percent of its
caseload from federal lifetime time limits and work requirements due to
hardship, if it first defines the circumstances that warrant hardship
exemption. House Bill 1003 requires the Texas Department of Human Services,
the Health and Human Services Commission, and the Texas Workforce
Commission to jointly adopt rules prescribing what constitutes a hardship. 

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,
the Health and Human Services Commission, and the Texas Workforce
Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 31.0065, Human Resources Code) of this
bill.  

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1003 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas
Department of Human Services, the Health and Human Services Commission, and
the Texas Workforce Commission to jointly adopt rules prescribing what
constitutes a hardship that would warrant an exception to the imposition of
the time-limited benefits. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001