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.