The commission must require adult recipients to sign a responsibility agreement, explain its work and time-limit provisions, and give applicants a copy. The agreement must include case information and stated responsibilities, and the executive commissioner must adopt sanctions and penalty rules.
Sec. 31.0031. RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENT. (a) The commission shall require each adult recipient to sign a bill of responsibilities that defines the responsibilities of the state and of the recipient and encourages personal responsibility. The commission shall explain to the applicant the work requirements and time-limited benefits in addition to the other provisions of the agreement before the applicant signs the agreement. The commission shall provide each applicant with a copy of the signed agreement. The agreement shall include pertinent case information, including the case number and a listing of the state's benefits. (b) The responsibilities of the state shall include administering programs, within available resources, that: (1) promote clear and tangible goals for recipients; (2) enable parents to provide for their children's basic necessities in a time-limited benefits program; (3) promote education, job training, and workforce development; (4) support the family structure through life and parenting skills training; (5) are efficient, fraud-free, and easily accessible by recipients; (6) gather accurate client information; and (7) give communities the opportunity to develop alternative programs that meet the unique needs of local recipients. (c) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing sanctions and penalties under this section to or for: (1) a person who fails to cooperate with each applicable requirement of the responsibility agreement prescribed by this section; and (2) the family of a person who fails to cooperate with each applicable requirement of the responsibility agreement. (d) The responsibility agreement shall require that: (1) the parent of a dependent child cooperate with the commission and the Title IV-D agency if necessary to establish the paternity of the dependent child and to establish or enforce child support; (2) if adequate and accessible providers of the services are available in the geographic area and subject to the availability of funds, each dependent child, as appropriate, complete early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment checkups on schedule and receive the immunization series prescribed by Section 161.004, Health and Safety Code, unless the child is exempt under that section; (3) each adult recipient, or teen parent recipient who has completed the requirements regarding school attendance in Subdivision (6), not voluntarily terminate paid employment of at least 30 hours each week without good cause in accordance with rules adopted by the executive commissioner; (4) each adult recipient for whom a needs assessment is conducted participate in an activity to enable that person to become self-sufficient by: (A) continuing the person's education or becoming literate; (B) entering a job placement or employment skills training program; (C) serving as a volunteer in the person's community; or (D) serving in a community work program or other work program approved by the commission; (5) each caretaker relative or parent receiving assistance not use, sell, or possess marihuana or a controlled substance in violation of Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or abuse alcohol; (6) each dependent child younger than 18 years of age or teen parent younger than 19 years of age attend school regularly, unless the child has a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate or is specifically exempted from school attendance under Section 25.086, Education Code; (7) each recipient comply with commission rules regarding proof of school attendance; and (8) each recipient attend appropriate parenting skills training classes, as determined by the needs assessment. (e) In conjunction with the Texas Education Agency, the executive commissioner by rule shall ensure compliance with the school attendance requirements of Subsection (d)(6) by establishing criteria for: (1) determining whether a child is regularly attending school; (2) exempting a child from school attendance in accordance with Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code; and (3) determining when an absence is excused. (f) The executive commissioner by rule may provide for exemptions from Subsection (d)(4) or for a teen parent under Subsection (d)(6). The commission may not require participation in an activity under Subsection (d)(4) or for a teen parent under Subsection (d)(6) if funding for support services is unavailable. (g) In this section: (1) "Caretaker relative" means a person who is listed under Section 31.002(a)(5) in whose home residence a dependent child lives. (2) "Payee" means a person who resides in a household with a dependent child and who is within the degree of relationship with the child that is required of a caretaker relative but whose needs are not included in determining the amount of financial assistance provided for the person's household. (h) The commission shall require each payee to sign a bill of responsibilities that defines the responsibilities of the state and of the payee. The responsibility agreement must require that a payee comply with the requirements of Subsections (d)(1), (2), (5), (6), and (7). Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 2.02(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 6.53, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 682, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.86(a), 2.87, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 4.043, eff. April 2, 2015.