1-1 By: Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh) H.B. No. 2126 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 14, 1997; 1-3 April 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 9, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; 1-6 May 9, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2126 By: Moncrief 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to requiring the Department of Human Services to conduct 1-11 evaluations to improve its programs. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 22, Human Resources Code, is amended by 1-14 adding Section 22.0015 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 22.0015. EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PROGRAMS. The 1-16 department shall conduct research, analysis, and reporting of its 1-17 programs to evaluate and improve the programs. The department may 1-18 contract with one or more independent entities to assist the 1-19 department with the research, analysis, and reporting required by 1-20 this section. 1-21 SECTION 2. Not later than January 15, 1999, January 15, 1-22 2001, and January 15, 2003, the Texas Department of Human Services 1-23 shall report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and speaker 1-24 of the house of representatives regarding the department's success 1-25 in evaluating and improving its programs, as required by Section 1-26 22.0015, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act. The 1-27 department shall notify members of the legislature and the standing 1-28 committees of the senate and house of representatives having 1-29 primary jurisdiction over the department of the filing of each 1-30 report. Each report must: 1-31 (1) for each evaluation contract entered into under 1-32 Section 22.0015, Human Resources Code, during the period covered by 1-33 the report, identify: 1-34 (A) the beginning and ending dates, the 1-35 authorized amount, and the purpose of the contract; and 1-36 (B) the identity of the contractor; and 1-37 (2) indicate the titles of major evaluation reports 1-38 completed by the department and its contractors during the period 1-39 covered by the report, including reports concerning state and 1-40 federal welfare reform. 1-41 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-42 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-43 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-44 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-45 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-46 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-47 * * * * *