SECTION 372.1156. Good Cause for Noncooperation with Personal Responsibility Agreement Requirements

(a) Child support. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) grants good cause for noncooperation with child support requirements only if the person demonstrates:

(1) the person was exempt under §372.1154(a)(2) of this division (relating to Cooperating with Personal Responsibility Agreement Requirements) at the time of the noncooperation; or

(2) the noncooperation resulted from other circumstances the person could not control (reasons that do not conflict with Title IV-D program rules).

(b) Children's health checkups. HHSC grants good cause for noncooperation with the Texas Health Steps program if:

(1) a licensed physician documents that the participation would risk the child's health;

(2) the child's caretaker or parent represents to HHSC staff that participation would violate his or her religious beliefs; or

(3) the Texas Health Steps worker confirms that transportation was unavailable, medical providers were unavailable, or the health screening was not needed (because, for example, the child is on a modified immunization schedule).

(c) School attendance. HHSC grants good cause for failure to comply with school attendance if:

(1) the teen parent has a child under 12 weeks of age; or

(2) no one in the home is willing and able to care for the child and child care is not available through the Texas Workforce Commission or the school district.

(d) Retaining employment. Good cause for quitting a job of 30 or more hours per week means being forced to quit due to circumstances beyond the control of the person. HHSC does not consider good cause for quitting to include resigning a job in order to accept another job that:

(1) does not materialize;

(2) results in employment of less than 30 hours a week; or

(3) results in employment with weekly earnings of less than federal minimum hourly wage multiplied by 30.

(e) Activities toward becoming self-sufficient. The Texas Workforce Commission determines whether a person has good cause for failing to cooperate with the Choices program.

(f) Parenting skills training. HHSC grants good cause for failure to comply with parenting skills training if:

(1) HHSC verifies that there are no classes in the area;

(2) the person provides a statement from the provider that classes were full;

(3) the person submits a doctor's statement or medical records verifying that the person was ill; or

(4) the person fails to attend a class due to circumstances beyond the person's control, as determined by HHSC, and the person submits verification satisfactory to HHSC.

Source Note: The provisions of this §372.1156 adopted to be effective September 1, 2009, 34 TexReg 5361