The commission must use telephone collection methods and an automated system to recover overpayments and track delinquent reimbursements.
Sec. 22.0252. TELEPHONE COLLECTION PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall use the telephone to attempt to collect reimbursement from a person who receives a benefit granted in error under the supplemental nutrition assistance program or the program of financial assistance under Chapter 31. (b) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 573 (S.B. 241), Sec. 3.01(4), eff. September 1, 2019. (c) The commission shall ensure that the telephone collection program attempts to collect reimbursement for all identified delinquent payments for which 15 days or more have elapsed since the initial notice of delinquency was sent to the recipient. (d) The commission shall use an automated collections system to monitor the results of the telephone collection program. The system must: (1) accept data from the accounts receivable tracking system used by the commission; (2) automate recording tasks performed by a collector, including providing access to commission records regarding the recipient and recording notes and actions resulting from a call placed to the recipient; (3) automatically generate a letter to a recipient following a telephone contact that confirms the action to be taken regarding the delinquency; (4) monitor the receipt of scheduled payments from a recipient for repayment of a delinquency; and (5) generate reports regarding the effectiveness of individual collectors and of the telephone collection program. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1153, Sec. 1.01(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 206, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312 (S.B. 59), Sec. 70, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 4.028, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 573 (S.B. 241), Sec. 3.01(4), eff. September 1, 2019.