HBA-JEK H.B. 1187 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1187
By: Olivo
Human Services
66/29/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 77th Legislature, the Parents as Scholars pilot program
required participants to have completed the recommended or advanced high
school curriculum and graduated from high school no earlier than the
1998-1999 school year to qualify for a Toward EXcellence, Access, & Success
(TEXAS) grant.  An expansion of the incentive program will encourage more
low-income parents to obtain a postsecondary degree.  As there is often a
correlation between educational attainment and income level, a
postsecondary degree program for low-income parents might help these
parents increase their incomes and become selfsufficient.  House Bill 1187
requires the Texas Workforce Commission to establish a new Parents as
Scholars pilot program with less stringent eligibility criteria that allows
program participants to fulfill the work or employment activities required
for financial assistance by engaging in educational activities designed to
result in receipt of a postsecondary degree. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Workforce Commission in
SECTION 1 (Section 31.072, Human Resources Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1187 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas
Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish by rule a Parents as Scholars pilot
program (program) under which recipients of financial assistance
participating in the program are allowed to fulfill the required work or
employment activities by engaging in educational activities designed to
result in receipt of a postsecondary degree (Sec. 31.072).  

H.B. 1187 provides that a recipient of financial assistance is eligible for
consideration for the program if the person is certified as eligible to
receive financial assistance on behalf of a dependent child for not more
than 12 months, is the parent of at least one dependent child under the age
of 18, is not exempt from the work activities required for receipt of
financial assistance, and has a high school diploma, high school
equivalency certificate, or an associate degree.  The bill requires TWC to
conduct an education assessment of each recipient eligible for the program
unless there are not positions in the program available, and sets forth
assessment guidelines (Sec. 31.073).  The bill prohibits TWC from allowing
more than 100 recipients to participate in the program at one time, and
requires TWC to select program participants on a first-come, first-served
basis (Sec. 31.074). 

H.B. 1187 requires TWC to develop an individual education plan for each
program participant and sets forth requirements for the education plans
(Sec. 31.075).  The bill provides that a recipient remains subject to the
work requirements for receipt of financial assistance until the recipient
begins attending an institution of higher education, regardless of whether
financial assistance is provided using federal or state funds. The bill
specifies that the number of hours a recipient spends on education plan
activities are included in determining the recipient's compliance with the
work requirements.  If the number of hours the recipient spends on
education plan activities is less than the number of hours required, the
recipient must also participate in permissible work or employment
activities to complete the remaining number of hours (Sec. 31.076).   
 
H.B. 1187 requires a recipient to notify TWC when the recipient receives an
offer of admission and to enroll in a higher education institution during
the first semester for which admission is offered.  The bill provides that
a recipient must take at least 12 credit hours a semester, make
satisfactory academic progress, and maintain eligibility for any applicable
student financial aid (Sec. 31.077). 

H.B. 1187 sets forth that, beginning on the date TWC determines that a
program participant has received an offer of admission the recipient
intends to accept or as soon after that date as practical, a program
recipient will cease to receive financial assistance from the Texas
Department of Human Services and will instead begin to receive monthly cash
assistance in the amount necessary to ensure that the recipient's household
receives the same benefits and total amount of money as before the
recipient ceased to receive financial assistance (Sec. 31.078). 

H.B. 1187 sets forth provisions regarding time limits on the participation
of a recipient in the program and on the receipt of cash assistance and
child-care services under the program.  The bill authorizes a program
participant who obtains an associate degree to subsequently pursue a
baccalaureate degree and sets forth time limits for such a participant
(Sec. 31.079). 

H.B. 1187 requires TWC to fund monthly cash assistance and child-care
services for program participants from state funds specifically
appropriated for that purpose.  The bill also requires TWC to use the state
money in such a manner that money spent under the program is included in
determining the state's compliance with federal maintenance of effort
requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (Sec.
31.078).   

The bill requires TWC to report to the legislature about the program no
later than January 15, 2007 (Sec. 31.080).  The program expires September
1, 2007 (Sec. 31.081). 

H.B. 1187 repeals provisions regarding the current parents as scholars
pilot program (SECTION 2).   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.