Bill Text: TX HB570 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to informing certain housing assistance applicants about the availability of certain public assistance programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB570 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB570-Introduced.html
| 89R2983 JG-D | ||
| By: Lalani | H.B. No. 570 | |
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| relating to informing certain housing assistance applicants about | ||
| the availability of certain public assistance programs. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 545, Government Code, as | ||
| effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 545.0059 to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 545.0059. NOTIFYING CERTAIN HOUSING APPLICANTS ABOUT | ||
| PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Housing | ||
| and Community Affairs. | ||
| (2) "Housing choice voucher program" means the housing | ||
| choice voucher program under Section 8, United States Housing Act | ||
| of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Section 1437f). | ||
| (3) "Public assistance program" includes: | ||
| (A) Medicaid; | ||
| (B) the child health plan program; | ||
| (C) the financial assistance program under | ||
| Chapter 31, Human Resources Code; | ||
| (D) the nutritional assistance programs under | ||
| Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, including the supplemental | ||
| nutrition assistance program under that chapter; and | ||
| (E) other programs administered and identified | ||
| by the commission. | ||
| (b) The commission in collaboration with the department and | ||
| public housing authorities shall develop and implement a process | ||
| for screening applications for participation in the housing choice | ||
| voucher program to identify individuals, including household | ||
| members referenced in the application, who may be eligible for | ||
| benefits under a public assistance program. | ||
| (c) An individual who is identified as potentially eligible | ||
| for benefits under a public assistance program must be: | ||
| (1) notified of each program for which the individual | ||
| may be eligible; and | ||
| (2) provided with information on how to apply for and | ||
| obtain benefits under each program. | ||
| (d) The commission and department shall enter into a | ||
| memorandum of understanding to implement this section. The | ||
| memorandum must specify the roles and duties of each agency with | ||
| respect to carrying out this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act | ||
| a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
| federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
| the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
| authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
| waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
