Bill Caption

Relating to a pilot program for assisting certain recipients of public benefits to gain permanent self-sufficiency.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 1483, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($203,977) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

HB 1483 would create a pilot program to test waiving eligibility requirements based on income or assets for continuation of certain public benefits. Instead, continuation of benefits would be based on a slow reduction scale.

The pilot program would involve at most 500 eligible families with the stated goal of families or individuals no longer requiring financial assistance, supplemental nutrition assistance, or other means-tested public benefits. The pilot program will test extending, for at least 24 months but not more than 60 months, financial assistance and supplemental nutrition assistance benefits by deferring the application of income and asset limit eligibility requirements for continuation of the benefits and reducing the benefits using a slow reduction scale.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Texas Actions supports HB 1483 because results from the pilot program could be critical information in crafting future legislation to lessen reliance on public benefits. Resources dedicated toward this pilot program would be a worthwhile expenditure toward potential cost-savings from the reduction of individuals enrolled in state assistance programs. Additionally, those individuals would benefit from less state involvement and greater autonomy over future decisions and opportunities in their lives.