1-1 By: Vowell (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2109
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1993;
1-3 May 6, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
1-4 and Human Services; May 19, 1993, reported favorably by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 19, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Zaffirini x
1-9 Ellis x
1-10 Madla x
1-11 Moncrief x
1-12 Nelson x
1-13 Patterson x
1-14 Shelley x
1-15 Truan x
1-16 Wentworth x
1-17 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-18 AN ACT
1-19 relating to the schedule of fees adopted by the Texas Commission
1-20 for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired to be paid to interpreters for
1-21 persons who are deaf or hearing impaired.
1-22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-23 SECTION 1. Sections 81.006(a) and (c), Human Resources Code,
1-24 are amended to read as follows:
1-25 (a) The commission shall:
1-26 (1) develop and implement a statewide program of
1-27 advocacy and education to ensure continuity of services to the
1-28 deaf;
1-29 (2) provide direct services to the deaf, including
1-30 interpreter services, information and referral services, message
1-31 relay services, advocacy services, services to elderly deaf and
1-32 hearing impaired, training in basic life skills and job-seeking
1-33 skills, and individual and family counseling;
1-34 (3) work to ensure more effective coordination and
1-35 cooperation among public and nonprofit organizations providing
1-36 social and educational services to deaf individuals;
1-37 (4) establish a registry of available interpreters for
1-38 the deaf and a catalogue of resources available for the needs of
1-39 the deaf, both of which it shall disseminate to interested people
1-40 and update annually;
1-41 (5) establish a system to approve courses and
1-42 workshops for the instruction and continuing education of
1-43 interpreters for the deaf; and
1-44 (6) annually review the schedule of fees recommended
1-45 by the commission for the payment of interpreters and, as a result
1-46 of the findings of the review and other relevant information, adopt
1-47 by rule a schedule of reasonable hourly fees to be paid to
1-48 interpreters with varied levels of skill.
1-49 (c) The schedule of fees adopted under Subsection (a)(6)
1-50 shall be adopted <of this section must be made available and
1-51 recommended for adoption> by other state agencies. If the
1-52 commission determines by rule that certificates issued to
1-53 interpreters by different entities represent equivalent skill
1-54 levels, the fees recommended for the payment of interpreters
1-55 holding those certificates must be equivalent. On request, the
1-56 commission shall send a copy of the fee schedule to a governmental
1-57 entity.
1-58 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
1-59 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-60 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-61 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-62 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-63 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-64 * * * * *
1-65 Austin,
1-66 Texas
1-67 May 19, 1993
1-68 Hon. Bob Bullock
2-1 President of the Senate
2-2 Sir:
2-3 We, your Committee on Health and Human Services to which was
2-4 referred H.B. No. 2109, have had the same under consideration, and
2-5 I am instructed to report it back to the Senate with the
2-6 recommendation that it do pass and be printed.
2-7 Truan,
2-8 Acting Chair
2-9 * * * * *
2-10 WITNESSES
2-11 FOR AGAINST ON
2-12 ___________________________________________________________________
2-13 Name: Fran Herrington-Borre x
2-14 Representing: Self
2-15 City: Austin
2-16 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-17 Name: Claude Beeman III x
2-18 Representing: Texas Deaf Caucus
2-19 City: Austin
2-20 -------------------------------------------------------------------
2-21 Name: Ralph H. White x
2-22 Representing: Tx Comm Deaf & Hearing Impair
2-23 City: Austin
2-24 -------------------------------------------------------------------