By Naishtat                                           H.B. No. 1429
       74R2335 KLL-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to caseload estimates by health and human services
    1-3  agencies.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 4413(502), Revised Statutes, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 13A to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 13A.  COORDINATION OF CASELOAD ESTIMATES.  (a)  The
    1-8  commission shall coordinate caseload estimates made for programs
    1-9  administered by health and human services agencies.
   1-10        (b)  To implement this section, the commission shall:
   1-11              (1)  adopt uniform guidelines to be used by health and
   1-12  human services agencies in estimating their caseloads, with
   1-13  allowances given for those agencies for which exceptions from the
   1-14  guidelines may be necessary;
   1-15              (2)  assemble a single set of economic and demographic
   1-16  data and provide that data to each health and human services agency
   1-17  to be used in estimating its caseloads; and
   1-18              (3)  seek advice from health and human services
   1-19  agencies, the Legislative Budget Board, the governor's budget
   1-20  office, the comptroller, and other relevant agencies as needed to
   1-21  coordinate the caseload estimating process.
   1-22        (c)  The commission shall assemble caseload estimates made by
   1-23  health and human services agencies into a coherent, uniform report
   1-24  and shall  update the report quarterly, with assistance from those
    2-1  agencies.  The commission shall publish the report and make it
    2-2  readily available to state and local agencies and interested
    2-3  private organizations.
    2-4        (d)  In the report prepared under Subsection (c) of this
    2-5  section, the commission shall explain the caseload estimates using
    2-6  monthly averages, annual unduplicated recipients, annual service
    2-7  usage, and other commonly used measures.
    2-8        (e)  The commission shall attach a copy of the report
    2-9  prepared under Subsection (c) of this section to the consolidated
   2-10  health and human services budget recommendation submitted to the
   2-11  Legislative Budget Board under Section 13 of this article and shall
   2-12  also submit the report to the legislature when it convenes in
   2-13  regular session.
   2-14        SECTION 2.  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,
   2-19  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-20  passage, and it is so enacted.