75R12544 DRH-F                           

         By Van de Putte, Christian, Hilderbran                H.B. No. 2313

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2313:

         By Christian                                      C.S.H.B. No. 2313

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the provision of transportation services to entities

 1-3     that receive transportation funds from the federal government in

 1-4     connection with the provision of social services.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the legislature that,

 1-7     whenever possible and to the maximum extent feasible, the existing

 1-8     network of transportation providers, and in particular the fixed

 1-9     route components of the existing networks, be used to meet the

1-10     client transportation requirements of the state's social service

1-11     agencies and their agents.  The legislature recognizes the

1-12     contributions of nonprofit entities dedicated to providing social

1-13     services and related activities and encourages the continued

1-14     community involvement of these entities in this area.

1-15           SECTION 2.  Subtitle K, Title 6, Transportation Code, is

1-16     amended by adding Chapter 459 to read as follows:

1-17            CHAPTER 459.  COORDINATION OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

1-18           Sec. 459.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:

1-19                 (1)  "Social services provider" means a state agency or

1-20     a political subdivision of this state, including a contractor of an

1-21     agency or political subdivision, that:

1-22                       (A)  provides social services under the Health

1-23     and Safety Code, the Human Resources Code, or the Labor Code; and

1-24                       (B)  receives from the state or federal

 2-1     government funds that may be spent to provide, subsidize, or

 2-2     reimburse the cost of transportation services.

 2-3                 (2)  "Transportation provider" means an entity that

 2-4     provides public transportation services under Chapter 451, 452, or

 2-5     453, Transportation Code, or Chapter 645, Acts of the 74th

 2-6     Legislature, 1995 (Article 6663c-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).

 2-7           Sec. 459.002.  COORDINATION WITH TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS.  A

 2-8     social services provider shall coordinate with each local

 2-9     transportation provider to the greatest extent possible to maximize

2-10     the efficiency and effectiveness of transportation services

2-11     available to social services clients.  A social services provider

2-12     shall, to the extent possible, use private nonprofit entities that

2-13     provide transportation services at little or no cost.  The social

2-14     services provider shall reimburse each transportation provider for

2-15     services performed, including paratransit transportation services,

2-16     in accordance with applicable contracts or vendor agreements.

2-17           Sec. 459.003.  INVENTORY OF CURRENT CONTRACTS.  (a)  If

2-18     requested by a transportation provider, a social services provider

2-19     shall, not later than January 1 of each year, provide to the

2-20     transportation provider an inventory of current contracts and

2-21     in-house capital resources for the provision of client

2-22     transportation services within the transportation provider's

2-23     service area or an area contiguous to the service area that is not

2-24     served by a transportation provider.

2-25           (b)  At a minimum, the inventory under Subsection (a)  must

2-26     include the name of the social services provider, the duration and

2-27     dollar amount of the contract, the unit or service rate, a

 3-1     geographic description of the service area, and a description of

 3-2     the type of service provided.

 3-3           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-9     passage, and it is so enacted.