By: Madla S.B. No. 1470 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the provision of certain services to elderly persons by 1-2 the Texas Department on Aging and the Texas Department of Human 1-3 Services. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 101, Human Resources Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 101.0255 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 101.0255. SERVICE STANDARDS AND AGREEMENTS. (a) The 1-8 department and the Texas Department of Human Services, with the 1-9 approval of the Health and Human Services Commission, shall work to 1-10 ensure consistency in service standards used by the respective 1-11 agency in the provision of the same or substantially similar 1-12 services under a community program on aging under Subchapter III, 1-13 Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Section 3001 et seq.), or 1-14 the Options for Independent Living program and a community care 1-15 program of the Texas Department of Human Services. 1-16 (b) Not later than January 1, 1994, the department and the 1-17 Texas Department of Human Services, in accordance with federal law, 1-18 including the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Section 3001 1-19 et seq.), shall enter into an agreement that allows an area agency 1-20 on aging to: 1-21 (1) jointly contract with a service provider that is 1-22 under contract with the Texas Department of Human Services to 1-23 provide services under a community care program; and 2-1 (2) use the billing and audit procedures of the Texas 2-2 Department of Human Services to eliminate unnecessary duplication 2-3 and to secure reduced rates through economies of scale. 2-4 SECTION 2. Subsection (d), Section 101.044, Human Resources 2-5 Code, is amended to read as follows: 2-6 (d) An area agency on aging may not directly provide 2-7 homemaker, home health, residential repair, respite, meal delivery, 2-8 or transportation service unless the area agency: 2-9 (1) receives no response to a request for proposals 2-10 that meets department standards; and 2-11 (2) has exhausted all other procurement options 2-12 available under department rules. 2-13 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 2-14 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.