Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 1060	Senate Author:  Nelson
Effective:  9-1-13	House Sponsor:  Zerwas

            Senate Bill 1060 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), on a periodic basis and at the request of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of existing family cost share provisions in the early childhood intervention program and to consider changes that may improve the cost-effectiveness of the program, including the adoption of a family cost share provision, under which the amount a family pays to participate in the early childhood intervention program is based on the amount of service the family receives under the program.  The bill requires DARS to collect data sufficient to conduct the evaluations and to modify as necessary the Texas Kids Intervention Data System to accept adjusted family income data submitted by early childhood intervention program providers and to require all providers to enter adjusted family income data into the system. The bill requires DARS to implement any considered changes that DARS determines will make the family cost share provisions of the early childhood intervention program more cost-effective, if the changes will not make access to early childhood intervention services cost prohibitive for families. The bill requires DARS, not later than December 1, 2014, to conduct the initial cost-effectiveness evaluation, to implement any changes resulting from that evaluation, and to submit a report to the governor and the LBB summarizing the results of the initial evaluation and explaining any changes that were implemented.