BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1585 By: McDonald 03-28-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND The 72nd Legislature of Texas created the Legislative Health and Human Services Board (the Board), and its primary function is to oversee and review implementation of policy, including fiscal policy, by state agencies whose duty is to deliver health and human services. The Board has never convened, in part due to a lack of an appointed meeting time and in part due to a lack of clearly specified differences between the Board and the Legislative Budget Board (the LBB). PURPOSE H.B. 1585 expands the Board's oversight and review functions regarding fiscal policy, and creates a relationship between the Board and the LBB. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 330.001(b), Government Code, to change the composition of the Board's membership. SECTION 2. Amends Section 330.002, Government Code, to require the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house to altnerately appoint members to serve as chair and vice-chair of the board, instead of serving those positions themselves. SECTION 3. Amends Section 330.004, Government Code, to require the Board to meet within the week prior to a LBB meeting, if possible. SECTION 4. Amends Subsections (a) and (c) and adds Subsection (g) to Section 330.005, Government Code, as follows: (a) Specifies the fiscal policy oversight and review functions to be considered by the Board, including line-item transfers, Medicaid waivers, Medicaid delivery, welfare fraud, and cross-agency programs and projects among the health and human services agencies. (c) Adds a requirement that the Board make recommendations to the LBB, in addition to the Legislature. (g) Adds that the Board is required to oversee and review efforts at the local level in the health and human services fields, regarding the use of and accessibility to funding, with the goal of fostering innovation and improving access to federal matching funds. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute to H.B. 1585 includes new requirements for the composition of the Legislative Health and Human Services Board membership and the appointment of the board's chair and vice chair. The substitute also reinstates current language requiring the board to meet at least quarterly, and adds some flexibility to the requirement that the board meet within seven days prior to the LBB. Finally, the substitute is modified, in Section 4, to include the coordination of delivery of services to children and families under Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, in the oversight and review functions of the Legislative Health and Human Services Board. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1585 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on March 28, 1995. A complete substitute was considered. The substitute was adopted without objection. The following person testified in favor of the bill: Jack C. Vowell, representing self. The bill was reported favorably as substituted, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 8 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 PNV, and 1 Absent.