By Maxey H.B. No. 663 75R1806 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the assessment of needs of individuals served by 1-3 long-term care services programs offered by health and human 1-4 services agencies. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: 1-7 (1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services 1-8 Commission. 1-9 (2) "Pilot program" means the pilot program for 1-10 consistent functional needs assessment established under this Act. 1-11 SECTION 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR CONSISTENT FUNCTIONAL NEEDS 1-12 ASSESSMENT. (a) The commission shall develop a functional needs 1-13 assessment pilot program to determine the feasibility of a 1-14 consistent process to be used by long-term care services programs 1-15 in this state to assess the needs of populations served by the 1-16 programs. The consistent functional needs assessment process must 1-17 be appropriate to the needs of the populations served by long-term 1-18 care services programs in this state and must be based on the 1-19 functional needs of an individual for assistance, rather than the 1-20 origin of the individual's disability or the individual's diagnosis 1-21 or age. 1-22 (b) In developing the consistent functional needs assessment 1-23 process, the commission shall consult with: 1-24 (1) advocacy groups representing individuals served by 2-1 long-term care services programs in this state and the families of 2-2 those individuals; 2-3 (2) providers of services to individuals served by 2-4 long-term care services programs; 2-5 (3) representatives of state agencies that provide 2-6 long-term care services programs or that would otherwise be 2-7 affected by implementation of the consistent functional needs 2-8 assessment process; and 2-9 (4) other appropriate individuals and entities. 2-10 (c) The commission shall conduct the pilot program using a 2-11 test population that is representative of the types of populations 2-12 who are enrolled in or who seek enrollment in long-term care 2-13 services programs in this state. 2-14 SECTION 3. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than 2-15 November 1, 1998, the commission shall report the preliminary 2-16 results of the pilot program to the legislature. 2-17 (b) Not later than November 1, 2000, the commission shall 2-18 report to the legislature on the feasibility of implementation of 2-19 the consistent functional needs assessment process developed under 2-20 this Act. 2-21 SECTION 4. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires September 1, 2-22 2001. 2-23 SECTION 5. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 2-24 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-2 passage, and it is so enacted.