Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

______ HEALTH AND HUMAN
ERVICES/General/General
UMAN SERVICES
77 th Texas Legislature
Eligibility Requirements for Food Stamp Recipients - S.B. 184
by Senator Zaffirini
House Sponsor: Representative Naishtat
Current law requires an individual seeking assistance through the state's Food Stamp Program to make a
personal appearance at the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) offices. An interim report to the
77 th Legislature found that one of the reasons individuals who are eligible for the Food Stamp Program do
not access assistance is the lengthy face-to-face interviews at DHS offices which potentially cuts into
normal work hours for eligible recipients. Eligible recipients may also face difficulties in finding adequate
transportation or childcare while attending such interviews.
Allows an individual to comply with eligibility requirements for the Food Stamp Program by telephone
instead of through a personal appearance at (DHS) offices.
Adult Fatality Review Teams - S.B. 515
by Senators Madla and Moncrief
House Sponsor: Representative Truitt
Collecting data and performing specialized investigations to identify patterns, factors, triggers, and
predictors of unexpected deaths may prevent future incidents of adult fatalities.
Authorizes a county to establish a multidisciplinary and multiagency unexpected adult fatality review team
to identify the cause and decrease the incidence of preventable adult death.
Duties and Immunities of Persons Reporting Elderly Abuse and Neglect - H.B. 3335
by Representative Telford
Senate Sponsor: Senator Moncrief
Currently, an individual who has cause to believe that an elderly or disabled adult is being abused,
neglected, or exploited must report their concern to the appropriate authority. However, the law remains
unclear about the possible liability of a business entity if an employee reports the abuse or exploitation of a
customer.
Provides that an employer is immune from civil or criminal liability arising from an employee's good faith
report, testimony, or participation in any judicial proceedings arising from a petition, report, or investigation.
Provides that this provision does not apply to an employer who is the subject of an investigation.
Senate Research Center 120