HBA-NRS H.B. 474 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 474 By: Naishtat Human Services 2/16/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, face-to-face interviews are required for initial certification and recertification for food stamp benefits. Many recipients of food stamps must attend a face-to-face interview as often as every three months. These requirements can cause employment difficulties, as well as a loss of income, when the recipient must take off work for a required interview. House Bill 474 allows a recipient of food stamps to comply with recertification requirements by telephone instead of through a personal appearance at a Texas Department of Human Services office if the recipient and each member of the recipient's household have no earned income and are elderly or disabled, or if the recipient is subject to a hardship. 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 474 amends the Human Resources Code to authorize the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) to allow a recipient of food stamps to comply with periodic eligibility recertification requirements (requirements) by telephone instead of through a personal appearance at DHS offices if the recipient and each member of the recipient's household have no earned income and are elderly or disabled, or if the recipient is subject to a hardship, as determined by DHS. The bill requires DHS to require such a recipient to personally appear at DHS offices once each year to comply with the requirements, in accordance with federal law. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.