CLC H.B. 2596 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS HUMAN SERVICES H.B. 2596 By: King 4-16-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND 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. The Texas Information and Referral Network, a public private partnership, has resulted in increased coordination of I & R services through the designation of Community Information Centers in 140 Texas counties, representing 92% of the state's population. The Network is currently working on statewide I & R 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. Maneuvering through the complex maze of public, private, federal, state, and local services which are offered can be a frustrating challenge. The current system remains fragmented in areas which make 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 I & R services in the same community or with state-level information and referral services. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to 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. RULE MAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1.Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, by adding Sections 531.0312, 531.0313, and 531.0314 to read as follows: Sec. 531.0312.Texas Information and Referral Network. Subsection (a) provides that the Texas Information and Referral Network at the 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. Subsection (b) provides that health and human services agencies will provide the Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN) with information about the services provided by the agency. The information will be updated quarterly. Sec. 531.0313.Electronic Access to Health and Human Services Referral Information. Subsection (a) provides that the TIRN may develop an Internet site to provide information regarding health and human services provided by public and private entities throughout the state. Subsection (b) provides requirements for indexing the TIRN Internet site. Subsection (c) addresses information which may be included on this Internet site and possible links to similar information. Subsection (d) defines "Internet." Sec. 531.0314.Information and Referral System Task Force. Subsection (a) provides that the commission will establish a task force to implement the statewide information and referral system and make recommendations to the commission and other agencies regarding health and human services. Subsection (b) provides that this task force will coordinate the development of state and local information and referral databases. Subsection (c) provides requirements for members of this task force. SECTION 2. Subsection (a) provides additional required duties for the task force created under Section 531.0314, Government Code. Subsection (b) provides that the task force will report its findings and recommendations to the commission by March 1, 1998, and the commission and other affected agencies will implement those recommendations by July 1, 1998. The task force will make a follow-up report to the 75th Legislature by Dec. 1, 1998. This report will include any recommendations for statutory changes. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause.