By Maxey                                        H.B. No. 2126

      75R6471 KEL-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to requiring the Department of Human Services to evaluate

 1-3     and improve its programs.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 22, Human Resources Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Section 22.0015 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 22.0015.  EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PROGRAMS.  The

 1-8     department shall conduct research, analysis, and reporting of its

 1-9     programs to evaluate and improve the programs.  The department may

1-10     contract with one or more independent private entities to assist

1-11     the department with the research, analysis, and reporting required

1-12     by this section.

1-13           SECTION 2.  Not later than January 15, 1999, the Texas

1-14     Department of Human Services shall report to the governor, the

1-15     lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives

1-16     regarding the department's success in evaluating and improving its

1-17     programs, as required by Section 22.0015, Human Resources Code, as

1-18     added by this Act.  The department shall notify members of the 76th

1-19     Legislature and the standing committees of the senate and house of

1-20     representatives having primary jurisdiction over the department of

1-21     the filing of the report.

1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.