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                                  * * * * *