BILL ANALYSIS

HUMAN SERVICES
H.B. 2313 (Substituted)
By: Van de Putte (Christian)
5-1-97

BACKGROUND
C.S.H.B. 1863 of the 74th Legislature mandated to the Health and Human
Services Commission that the available funding for transportation services
for those receiving other benefits from the Commission should be maximized
and the services for those clients provided through local transportation
providers including metropolitan transit authorities.  However, there was
some technicalities in the contracting clauses that make the
implementation of that section difficult.   

PURPOSE
C.S.H.B. 2313 clarifies those entities that receive funds to provide
transportation services to clients receiving human services and promotes
the contracting with local transportation providers including the
metropolitan transit authorities for those services. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
C.S.H.B. 2313 does not designate any rulemaking authority to any
governmental unit, department or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1.  Establishes that the intent of this legislation is to the
greatest extent possible to decrease duplication of transportation
services offered to the general public and to the clients of social
service providers.  

SECTION 2.  Adds Chapter 459 to Subtitle K, of Title 6 of the
Transportation Code. 

CHAPTER 459. COORDINATION OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.

Sec. 459.001. DEFINITIONS.  Defines "social service provider," and
"transportation provider." 

Sec. 459.002.  COORDINATION WITH TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS. Requires that
social service providers first investigate the availability of non-profit
transportation providers, then to further coordinate the provision of
transportation services to their clients with the local transportation
providers and establish contract for these services. 

Sec. 459.003.  INVENTORY OF CURRENT CONTRACTS.  (a)  Requires the
disclosure to the local transportation provider if requested from the
social service provider, an inventory of current contracts and in-house
resources for the provision of client transportation services within the
transportation providers service area or a contiguous area. 

(b)  The inventory shall include at a minimum, the name of the social
services provider, the duration and dollar amount of the contract, the
service rate, a geographic description of the service area and a
description of the services. 

SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY CLAUSE, EFFECTIVE DATE.

COMPARISON OF H.B.2313 TO C.S.H.B.2313
C.S.H.B. 2313 replaces a general mandate for social service providers to
contract with local transportation providers with language that will first
require those social service providers to investigate the availability of
the non-profit transportation service and then promote contracting with
local transportation providers where the infrastructure exists to do so
effectively and efficiently.  The  measure also establishes the ability of
the local transportation providers to request an inventory of contracts
from social service providers so as to promote further the effective
provision of transportation services to social service clients.