By Hirschi                                      H.B. No. 2450

      75R7800 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to authorizing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

 1-3     and the Texas Department of Human Services to create a pilot

 1-4     program to administer to special needs offenders paroled from the

 1-5     institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-7           SECTION 1.  Chapter 614, Health and Safety Code, is amended

 1-8     by adding Section 614.018 to read as follows:

 1-9           Sec. 614.018.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Department of

1-10     Criminal Justice and the Texas Department of Human Services, not

1-11     later than October 1, 1997,  shall adopt a memorandum of

1-12     understanding that establishes their respective responsibilities to

1-13     create a pilot program in Wichita County to provide medical care to

1-14     elderly, physically disabled, or terminally ill special needs

1-15     offenders released under Section 8(m), Article 42.18, Code of

1-16     Criminal Procedure.

1-17           (b)  The memorandum of understanding must establish methods

1-18     to be cooperatively used by the departments for identifying

1-19     suitable private vendors who are eligible to receive money from the

1-20     state Medicaid program and who have all  state licenses or permits

1-21     necessary to provide services described by Subsection (a).

1-22           (c)  The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, not later than

1-23     November 1, 1997, shall award a contract to a private vendor

1-24     identified under Subsection (b) to be  suitable for providing

 2-1     medical care to special needs offenders described by Subsection

 2-2     (a).

 2-3           (d)  This section expires August 31, 1999.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-10     passage, and it is so enacted.