By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2905
       74R7921 DLF-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the delivery of services by certain health and human
    1-3  services 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 22 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 22.  DELIVERY OF SERVICES.  (a)  To accomplish the goal
    1-8  of the integration of health and human services to provide for the
    1-9  efficient and timely delivery of those services established by
   1-10  Section 10(b)(3) of this article, each health and human services
   1-11  agency shall streamline the manner in which services are delivered
   1-12  by that agency in accordance with this section.
   1-13        (b)  The commissioner may adopt rules requiring each health
   1-14  and human services agency to streamline service delivery and
   1-15  directing the manner in which the streamlining is to be
   1-16  accomplished, including rules relating  to:
   1-17              (1)  simplification of agency procedures;
   1-18              (2)  automation of agency procedures;
   1-19              (3)  coordination of service planning and management
   1-20  tasks among agencies that provide related services or that provide
   1-21  different services to the same individuals; and
   1-22              (4)  the content of the reports required by Subsections
   1-23  (c) and (d) of this section.
   1-24        (c)  Each health and human services agency shall present a
    2-1  brief report to the governor and appropriate legislative committees
    2-2  on that agency's efforts to streamline the delivery of services.
    2-3  The report required by this section shall be presented by the
    2-4  executive head of the agency and  the presiding officer of the
    2-5  agency's governing board.  The report shall be made semiannually at
    2-6  times and places selected by the governor and the chair of the
    2-7  legislative committees to which the report is to be made.  The
    2-8  presiding officer of each house of the legislature shall designate
    2-9  the committees to which the report must be made.
   2-10        (d)  Each executive head of a health and human services
   2-11  agency shall present a brief report to the governing body of that
   2-12  agency on that agency's efforts to streamline and simplify the
   2-13  delivery of services.  The report required by this subsection shall
   2-14  be made quarterly.
   2-15        (e)  Before a health and human services agency employs a new
   2-16  executive head, the  governing body of the agency shall consult
   2-17  with the commissioner.  The commissioner shall review the
   2-18  credentials of the applicant with the goal of ensuring future
   2-19  progress in streamlining the delivery of services by the agency.
   2-20        (f)  During  the process of evaluating the performance of an
   2-21  executive head of a health and human services agency, the governing
   2-22  body of the agency shall consult with the commissioner.  The
   2-23  commissioner shall review the performance of the executive head by
   2-24  considering the agency's progress in streamlining the delivery of
   2-25  services.
   2-26        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-27  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-5  passage, and it is so enacted.