SRC-CDH H.B. 1555 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 1555 By: Greenberg (Shapiro) Health & Human Services 4-28-97 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, Texas child-care facilities are subject to duplicative inspections by many levels of government, and the various inspecting agencies are not required to coordinate activities or share inspection data. For example, the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS), the Texas Workforce Commission's Child Care Management System, the Texas Department of Human Services' Federal Special Nutrition Program, and city and county health departments all perform such inspections, leading to inefficiencies for both the agencies and the child care facilities. The Texas Performance Review's recommendation addresses these problems by suggesting that DPRS be designated the lead agency for all inspections. H.B. 1555 streamlines the child care facility inspections processes by requiring DPRS to be the lead agency to coordinate inspection activities and share inspection data, in an effort to eliminate redundancies and inefficiencies in the current process. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1555 establishes the inspection of certain child-care facilities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends 42C, Human Resources Code, by adding Sections 42.0441-42.0443, as follows: Sec. 42.0441. INSPECTION RESULTS. Requires the authorized representative of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS), immediately after completing a monitoring inspection of a licensed day-care center, to review the results of the monitoring inspection with a representative of the facility and give the facility an opportunity to respond to the inspection results. Sec. 42.0442. COORDINATION OF INSPECTIONS; ELIMINATION OF DUPLICATIVE INSPECTIONS. Requires DPRS to coordinate monitoring inspections of licensed day-care centers, licensed group day-care homes, and registered family homes performed by another state agency to eliminate redundant inspections. Sets forth the terms by which DPRS is required to form an interagency task force with the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), to develop an inspection protocol that will coordinate inspections by those agencies. Sec. 42.0443. INSPECTION INFORMATION DATABASE. Requires DPRS, if feasible, to establish a computerized database containing relevant inspection information on licensed day-care centers, licensed group day-care homes, and registered family homes from other state agencies and political subdivisions of the state. Sets forth the terms by which DPRS is required to make the data collected available to other state agencies or political subdivisions, and to the public. SECTION 3. (a) Effective date: September 1, 1997. (b) Requires DPRS, DHS, TDH, and TWC to report the recommendations for the protocol for coordinated inspections to their respective governing boards or commissions no later than February 1, 1998. Requires the implementation of the protocol to begin not later than June 1, 1998. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.