HBA-MPM S.B. 297 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 297
By: West, Royce
Human Services
4/23/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

According to the United States Census Bureau survey conducted in March
1996, approximately four million children lived in the home of a
grandparent, almost double the number who resided in the home of a
grandparent in 1980.  Experts have offered several reasons for grandparents
raising their grandchildren, such as increasing drug abuse among parents,
teen pregnancy, divorce, a rapid rise in single parent households, child
abuse and neglect, and mental and physical illness or incarceration of the
parents.  The 76th Legislature authorized the Texas Department of Human
Services to provide supplemental financial assistance to grandparents in
addition to the amount of financial assistance granted for the support of a
dependent child.  However, there are many more elderly grandparents with
fixed incomes who are struggling to support their grandchildren without
adequate resources. Senate Bill 297 redefines the criteria under which a
grandparent may receive supplemental financial assistance through the state
by lowering the age of eligibility and increasing the income eligibility
level. 

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

Senate Bill 297 amends the Human Resources Code to decrease the minimum
qualifying age from 50 years of age to 45 years of age for a grandparent to
receive supplemental financial assistance.  The bill also increases the
maximum allowable income level from 100 percent to 200 percent of the
federal poverty level. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.