By Hilderbran H.B. No. 2208 74R7647 CLG-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the provision of transportation services to recipients 1-3 of assistance or services under certain programs of health and 1-4 human services agencies. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 141, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, 1-7 Regular Session, 1973 (Article 1118x, Vernon's Texas Civil 1-8 Statutes), is amended by adding Section 15D to read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 15D. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR PERSONS RECEIVING 1-10 ASSISTANCE OR SERVICES FROM CERTAIN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 1-11 AGENCIES. (a) In addition to the transportation services provided 1-12 by an authority under Section 15C of this article, an authority 1-13 shall, in accordance with federal law, provide transportation 1-14 services to a person who: 1-15 (1) receives assistance or services under a federal 1-16 program that is administered by a health and human services agency 1-17 and that requires the state to provide transportation services to 1-18 that person; and 1-19 (2) resides in an area served by the authority. 1-20 (b) An authority shall enter into a contract with a health 1-21 and human services agency that administers a federal program 1-22 described by Subsection (a)(1) of this section to provide the 1-23 transportation services required by this section. The terms of the 1-24 contract must ensure that: 2-1 (1) the authority is required to provide 2-2 transportation services only to a location that relates to the 2-3 person's participation in the program and that is in the area 2-4 served by the authority's authorized rate structure and existing 2-5 services; 2-6 (2) the authority is required to provide directly to 2-7 the agency trip vouchers for distribution by the agency to a person 2-8 who is eligible to receive transportation services under this 2-9 section; 2-10 (3) the agency reimburses the authority at the 2-11 applicable federal match rate for allowable costs; and 2-12 (4) the agency may return to the authority for 2-13 reimbursement any undistributed trip vouchers. 2-14 (c) An authority shall certify to the health and human 2-15 services agency the amount of public funds expended by the 2-16 authority under this section for the purpose of obtaining federal 2-17 funds under a program described by Subsection (a)(1) of this 2-18 section. 2-19 (d) In this section, "health and human services agency" 2-20 means an agency listed in Section 19, Article 4413(502), Revised 2-21 Statutes. 2-22 SECTION 2. Chapter 683, Acts of the 66th Legislature, 1979 2-23 (Article 1118y, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by 2-24 adding Section 21B to read as follows: 2-25 Sec. 21B. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR PERSONS RECEIVING 2-26 ASSISTANCE OR SERVICES FROM CERTAIN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 2-27 AGENCIES. (a) In addition to the transportation services provided 3-1 by an authority under Section 21A of this article, an authority 3-2 shall, in accordance with federal law, provide transportation 3-3 services to a person who: 3-4 (1) receives assistance or services under a federal 3-5 program that is administered by a health and human services agency 3-6 and that requires the state to provide transportation services to 3-7 that person; and 3-8 (2) resides in an area served by the authority. 3-9 (b) An authority shall enter into a contract with a health 3-10 and human services agency that administers a federal program 3-11 described by Subsection (a)(1) of this section to provide the 3-12 transportation services required by this section. The terms of the 3-13 contract must ensure that: 3-14 (1) the authority is required to provide 3-15 transportation services only to a location that relates to the 3-16 person's participation in the program and that is in the area 3-17 served by the authority's authorized rate structure and existing 3-18 services; 3-19 (2) the authority is required to provide directly to 3-20 the agency trip vouchers for distribution by the agency to a person 3-21 who is eligible to receive transportation services under this 3-22 section; 3-23 (3) the agency reimburses the authority at the 3-24 applicable federal match rate for allowable costs; and 3-25 (4) the agency may return to the authority for 3-26 reimbursement any undistributed trip vouchers. 3-27 (c) An authority shall certify to the health and human 4-1 services agency the amount of public funds expended by the 4-2 authority under this section for the purpose of obtaining federal 4-3 funds under a program described by Subsection (a)(1) of this 4-4 section. 4-5 (d) In this section, "health and human services agency" 4-6 means an agency listed in Section 19, Article 4413(502), Revised 4-7 Statutes. 4-8 SECTION 3. Article 1118z, Revised Statutes, is amended by 4-9 adding Section 6B to read as follows: 4-10 Sec. 6B. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR PERSONS RECEIVING 4-11 ASSISTANCE OR SERVICES FROM CERTAIN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 4-12 AGENCIES. (a) In addition to the transportation services provided 4-13 by an authority under Section 6A of this article, an authority 4-14 shall, in accordance with federal law, provide transportation 4-15 services to a person who: 4-16 (1) receives assistance or services under a federal 4-17 program that is administered by a health and human services agency 4-18 and that requires the state to provide transportation services to 4-19 that person; and 4-20 (2) resides in an area served by the authority. 4-21 (b) An authority shall enter into a contract with a health 4-22 and human services agency that administers a federal program 4-23 described by Subsection (a)(1) of this section to provide the 4-24 transportation services required by this section. The terms of the 4-25 contract must ensure that: 4-26 (1) the authority is required to provide 4-27 transportation services only to a location that relates to the 5-1 person's participation in the program and that is in the area 5-2 served by the authority's authorized rate structure and existing 5-3 services; 5-4 (2) the authority is required to provide directly to 5-5 the agency trip vouchers for distribution by the agency to a person 5-6 who is eligible to receive transportation services under this 5-7 section; 5-8 (3) the agency reimburses the authority at the 5-9 applicable federal match rate for allowable costs; and 5-10 (4) the agency may return to the authority for 5-11 reimbursement any undistributed trip vouchers. 5-12 (c) An authority shall certify to the health and human 5-13 services agency the amount of public funds expended by the 5-14 authority under this section for the purpose of obtaining federal 5-15 funds under a program described by Subsection (a)(1) of this 5-16 section. 5-17 (d) In this section, "health and human services agency" 5-18 means an agency listed in Section 19, Article 4413(502), Revised 5-19 Statutes. 5-20 SECTION 4. If, before implementing the requirements of 5-21 Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act, the Health and Human Services 5-22 Commission determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal 5-23 agency is necessary for implementation, the Health and Human 5-24 Services Commission shall request the waiver or authorization, and 5-25 the commission and each mass transit authority or department may 5-26 delay implementing those provisions until the waiver or 5-27 authorization is granted. 6-1 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 6-2 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the 6-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 6-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 6-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 6-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.