SRC-SLL H.B. 663 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 663 By: Maxey (Moncrief) Health & Human Services 5-5-97 Engrossed DIGEST Traditionally, the service needs of an individual have been measured by the agency to which the individual has presented himself or herself. Each agency has developed its own set of criteria on which the determination of "service eligibility" has been made. Advocates for and consumers of long-term care services have agreed that the needs of individuals, regardless of age, are functionally more similar than dissimilar. Most individuals requesting long-term care have some need for personal assistance services. The need for a particular type of assistance is defined by the consumer, and the training required of those providing personal assistance may be specific for the individual or disability group. Therefore, the functional need for services may be assessed based on the function that is identified as being lacking or needing personal intervention to accomplish. By identifying all the long-term care needs of individuals and working with all disability special interest groups, the cross-disability assessment process proposed in H.B. 663 would incorporate and describe the needs of all long-term care services recipients, based on function rather than on label, medical diagnosis, I.Q., or age. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 663 provides for the development of a pilot program for the assessment of needs of individuals served by long-term care services programs offered by health and human services agencies. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. Defines "commission" and "pilot program." SECTION 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR CONSISTENT FUNCTIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (commission), subject to SECTION 3, to develop a functional needs assessment pilot program to determine the feasibility of a consistent process to be used by long-term care services programs in this state to assess the needs of populations served by the programs. Requires the consistent functional needs assessment process to be appropriate to the need of the populations served by long-term care services programs in this state and to be based on the functional needs of an individual for assistance, rather than the origin of the individual's disability or the individual's diagnosis or age. Requires the commission, in developing the consistent functional needs assessment process, to consult with certain persons. Requires the commission to conduct the pilot program using a test population that is representative of the types of populations who are enrolled in or who seek enrollment in long-term care services programs in this state. SECTION 3. FUNDING. Requires the commission to solicit and authorizes the commission to accept gifts and grants of money, property, or services to develop, implement, and administer the pilot program. Prohibits the commission from conducting the pilot program unless it obtains adequate funding from these sources. SECTION 4. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. Requires the commission, not later than November 1, 1998, to report the preliminary results of the pilot program to the legislature. Requires the commission, not later than November 1, 2000, to report to the legislature on the feasibility of implementation of the consistent functional needs assessment process developed under this Act. SECTION 5. EXPIRATION DATE. Provides that this Act expires September 1, 2001. SECTION 6. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.