HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris County will launch a new version of its guaranteed income program following legal action from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced it during a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
The original Uplift Harris program had been put on pause after a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court back in June.
At that time, more than 1,900 low-income families have already been chosen for the Uplift Harris program. They were set to receive $500 a month for a year and a half. The new program would serve the same families.
The main difference between the two programs is that the new one will limit what kind of expenses families will be able to spend the money on.
In April, Paxton sued, calling the original program unconstitutional. The Texas Supreme Court then blocked the program from taking effect within an hour of the first payments going out.
The county had held onto the funding while the case continued through the appeals process.
Hidalgo said Commissioners Court already voted to create the new program.
On Thursday, Texas state Senator Paul Bettencourt responded, calling the new version of the program the "same old lottery socialism" as the first version
If all goes as planned, the initial payments could go out as early as four months.