By:  Granoff                                          H.B. No. 1731
       73R5014 DAK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to contracted placement and treatment services for youth.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  CREATION OF COUNCIL.  (a)  A Council for
    1-5  Contracted Placement and Treatment Services for Youth is created.
    1-6        (b)  The membership of the council is the governor and three
    1-7  other persons appointed by the governor for six-year terms.
    1-8        SECTION 2.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  An advisory committee of the
    1-9  council is composed of a representative from each of the following
   1-10  agencies:
   1-11              (1)  Central Education Agency;
   1-12              (2)  Department of Protective and Regulatory Services;
   1-13              (3)  Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse;
   1-14              (4)  Texas Department of Human Services;
   1-15              (5)  Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
   1-16  Retardation;
   1-17              (6)  Texas Juvenile Probation Commission; and
   1-18              (7)  Texas Youth Commission.
   1-19        SECTION 3.  DUTIES.  (a)  The council shall act as the
   1-20  administrator as provided by this Act of a repository for funds
   1-21  appropriated to the agencies on the advisory committee for
   1-22  contracted youth placements and treatment.  The council shall
   1-23  approve costs for the placement and treatment of children and the
   1-24  location of facilities used for those placements and treatments by
    2-1  the agencies on the advisory committee.  The council may not
    2-2  determine the need for services but may only authorize placement
    2-3  and treatment contracts that the agencies on the advisory committee
    2-4  determine are needed.
    2-5        (b)  The advisory committee shall identify funds available
    2-6  for contracted youth placements and treatment, certify and transfer
    2-7  the funds to the comptroller, and develop contract rates and
    2-8  strategies.
    2-9        (c)  Each agency that is a member of the advisory committee
   2-10  shall apply to the council for funds and may only spend funds
   2-11  approved by the council in accordance with the rate and strategy
   2-12  developed by the advisory committee.
   2-13        SECTION 4.  COMPTROLLER'S DUTIES.  The comptroller shall
   2-14  identify the funds held by the council, establish any special
   2-15  accounts that are necessary for the operation of the council, and
   2-16  authorize expenditures only on the direction of the council.
   2-17        SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   2-18  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-23  passage, and it is so enacted.