By Maxey, Naishtat                                     H.B. No. 554
       74R2323 CBH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to creation, powers, and duties of the Public Assistance
    1-3  Fraud Oversight Task Force.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 21, Human Resources Code, is amended by
    1-6  adding Section 21.0145 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 21.0145.  PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FRAUD OVERSIGHT TASK FORCE.
    1-8  (a)  The Public Assistance Fraud Oversight Task Force is created to
    1-9  advise and assist the department and the department's office of the
   1-10  inspector general in improving the efficiency of fraud
   1-11  investigations and collections.
   1-12        (b)  The task force is composed of a representative of the:
   1-13              (1)  attorney general's office, appointed by the
   1-14  attorney general;
   1-15              (2)  comptroller's office, appointed by the
   1-16  comptroller;
   1-17              (3)  Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas,
   1-18  appointed by the public safety director;
   1-19              (4)  state auditor's office, appointed by the state
   1-20  auditor; and
   1-21              (5)  Texas Department of Human Services, appointed by
   1-22  the commissioner of human services.
   1-23        (c)  The task force shall elect a presiding officer and any
   1-24  other necessary officers.
    2-1        (d)  The task force shall meet at least once each fiscal
    2-2  quarter at the call of the presiding officer.
    2-3        (e)  The appointing agency is responsible for the expenses of
    2-4  a member's service on the task force.  Members of the task force
    2-5  receive no additional compensation for serving on the task force.
    2-6        (f)  At least once each fiscal quarter, the department's
    2-7  office of the inspector general shall provide to the task force:
    2-8              (1)  information detailing:
    2-9                    (A)  the number of fraud referrals made to the
   2-10  office and the origin of each referral;
   2-11                    (B)  the time spent investigating each case;
   2-12                    (C)  the number of cases investigated each month,
   2-13  by program and region;
   2-14                    (D)  the dollar value of each fraud case that
   2-15  results in a criminal conviction; and
   2-16                    (E)  the number of cases the office rejects and
   2-17  the reason for rejection, by region; and
   2-18              (2)  any additional information the task force
   2-19  requires.
   2-20        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-25  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-26  passage, and it is so enacted.