By Solis                                              H.B. No. 1284
       74R344 JJT-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the designation of the mental health and mental
    1-3  retardation authority for Cameron County.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  The commissioner of mental health and mental
    1-6  retardation shall designate the Rio Grande State Center in
    1-7  Harlingen as the mental health and mental retardation authority for
    1-8  Cameron County as soon as is practicable but not later than
    1-9  September 1, 1996.
   1-10        SECTION  2.  (a)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and
   1-11  Mental Retardation shall transfer to the Rio Grande State Center in
   1-12  Harlingen all of the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the
   1-13  mental health and mental retardation authority for Cameron County
   1-14  as soon as is practicable, but may not violate the terms of a
   1-15  contract made before the effective date of this Act between the
   1-16  department and a mental health and mental retardation authority
   1-17  serving Cameron County or between that authority and a private
   1-18  provider.
   1-19        (b)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
   1-20  Retardation shall develop a transition plan to ensure that:
   1-21              (1)  contracts made before the effective date of this
   1-22  Act between the mental health and mental retardation authority
   1-23  serving Cameron County and any other parties are not impaired by
   1-24  the transfer of duties, functions, and responsibilities to the Rio
    2-1  Grande State Center in Harlingen; and
    2-2              (2)  disruption of services is minimized.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect June 1, 1995, except
    2-4  as provided by Subsection (b) of this section.
    2-5        (b)  If this Act may not take effect under Article III,
    2-6  Section 39, of the Texas Constitution, this Act takes effect
    2-7  September 1, 1995.
    2-8        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-13  and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
   2-14  terms, and it is so enacted.