SRC-HRD H.B. 2596 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2596
By: King (Zaffirini)
Health & Human Services
5-12-97
Engrossed


DIGEST 

The Texas Information and Referral Task Force convened in April of 1990
under the direction of the Texas Planning Council for Developmental
Disabilities, the Texas Health and Human Services Council, and the Texas
Interagency Council for Early Childhood Intervention.  This task force was
charged with the responsibility of developing a plan for a statewide
information and referral system for health and human services.  The
resulting report published in 1991 made recommendations which laid the
foundation for the Texas Information and Referral Network (network).

The network, a public-private partnership, has resulted in increased
coordination of information and referral services through the designation
of community information centers in 140 Texas counties, representing 92
percent of the state's population.  The network is currently working on
statewide information and referral standards to ensure effectiveness and
accountability.  Implicit in the network's approach is the principle that
existing community-based structures, both state and local, are to be
utilized to build consolidated information and referral data management
infrastructures. This approach reduces unnecessary duplication and
competition, which provides for a broad-based ownership of the network and
efficient organization of resources. 

The current system remains fragmented in areas which makes it difficult to
determine which services are available and who qualifies for them. There
are many excellent and extensively used systems which address multiple
programs and services, but they are not always well coordinated with
specialized information and referral services in the same community or
with state-level information and referral services.

This bill would designate the Texas Information and Referral Network of
the Health and Human Services Commission as the program responsible for
the development, coordination, and implementation of a statewide
information and referral network that integrates existing community-based
structures with state and local agencies.                   

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 2596 designates the Texas Information and Referral
Network of the Health and Human Services Commission as the program
responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of a
statewide information and referral network that integrates existing
community-based structures with state and local 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. Amends Chapter 531B, Government Code, by adding Sections
531.0312, 531.0313, and 531.0314, as follows: 

Sec. 531.0312.  TEXAS INFORMATION AND REFERRAL NETWORK.  Provides that the
Texas Information and Referral Network (network) at the Health and Human
Services Commission (commission) is the program responsible for the
development, coordination, and implementation of a statewide information
and referral network that integrates existing  community-based structures
with state and local agencies.  Requires a health and human services
agency to provide the network with information about the health and human
services provided by the agency for inclusion in the statewide information
and referral network. Requires the agency to update the information at
least quarterly. 

Sec. 531.0313.  ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REFERRAL
INFORMATION.  Authorizes the network to develop an Internet site to
provide information to the public regarding the health and human services
provided by public or private entities throughout the state.  Requires the
material in the network site to be geographically indexed and designed to
inform an individual about the health and human services provided in the
area where the individual lives.  Requires the material to be further
indexed by type of service provided within each geographic area.
Authorizes the Internet site to contain links to the Internet sites of any
local provider of health and human services and to contain certain
information.  Defines "Internet." 

Sec. 531.0314.  INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SYSTEM TASK FORCE.  Requires the
commission to establish a task force to implement the statewide
information and referral system for health and human services and to make
recommendations to the commission and other agencies providing health and
human services.  Requires the task force to coordinate the development of
state and local information and referral network databases.  Requires the
task force to consist of representatives from the state's health and human
services agencies and certain organizations. 

SECTION 2. Requires the task force under Section 531.0314, Government
Code, as added by this Act, to evaluate the use of the Internet and other
methods of providing access to information and referral services; conduct
an inventory of all existing information and referral systems including
tollfree telephone numbers and state agencies performing information and
referral activities; and recommend a strategy for eliminating duplicative
toll-free telephone numbers.  Requires the task force to report its
findings and recommendations to the Health and Human Services Commission
not later than March 1, 1998, and requires the commission and other
affected agencies to seek to implement those recommendations, with the
assistance of the task force, not later than July 1, 1998. Requires the
task force to make a follow-up report to the 75th Legislature not later
than December 1, 1998.  Requires the report to include recommendations for
statutory changes. 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.