By King                                               H.B. No. 2596

         75R8781 MCK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the Texas Information and Referral Network providing

 1-3     information on health and human services.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Sections 531.0312, 531.0313, and 531.0314 to read

 1-7     as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 531.0312.  TEXAS INFORMATION AND REFERRAL NETWORK.  (a)

 1-9     The Texas Information and Referral Network at the commission is the

1-10     program responsible for the development, coordination, and

1-11     implementation of a statewide information and referral network that

1-12     integrates existing community-based structures with state and local

1-13     agencies.

1-14           (b)  A health and human services agency shall provide the

1-15     Texas Information and Referral Network with information about the

1-16     health and human services provided by the agency for inclusion in

1-17     the statewide information and referral network.  The agency shall

1-18     update the information at least quarterly.

1-19           Sec. 531.0313.  ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO HEALTH AND HUMAN

1-20     SERVICES REFERRAL INFORMATION.  (a)  The Texas Information and

1-21     Referral Network may develop an Internet site to provide

1-22     information to the public regarding the health and human services

1-23     provided by public or private entities throughout the state.

1-24           (b)  The material in the Texas Information and Referral

 2-1     Network Internet site must be geographically indexed and designed

 2-2     to inform an individual about the health and human services

 2-3     provided in the area where the individual lives.  The material must

 2-4     be further indexed by type of service provided within each

 2-5     geographic area.

 2-6           (c)  The Internet site may contain links to the Internet

 2-7     sites of any local provider of health and human services and may

 2-8     contain:

 2-9                 (1)  the name, address, and phone number of

2-10     organizations providing health and human services in a county;

2-11                 (2)  a description of the type of services provided by

2-12     those organizations; and

2-13                 (3)  any other information to educate the public about

2-14     the health and human services provided in a county.

2-15           (d)  In this section, "Internet" means the largest

2-16     nonproprietary, nonprofit cooperative public computer network,

2-17     popularly known as the Internet.

2-18           Sec. 531.0314.  INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SYSTEM TASK FORCE.

2-19     (a)  The commission shall establish a task force to implement the

2-20     statewide information and referral system for health and human

2-21     services and to make recommendations to the commission and other

2-22     agencies providing health and human services.

2-23           (b)  The task force shall coordinate the development of state

2-24     and local information and referral network databases.

2-25           (c)  The task force must consist of representatives from the

2-26     state's health and human services agencies, the Texas Alliance of

2-27     Information and Referral Services, the United Way, and public and

 3-1     private community-based organizations involved in providing

 3-2     information and referral for health and human services.

 3-3           SECTION 2.  (a)  The task force established under Section

 3-4     531.0314, Government Code, as added by this Act, shall:

 3-5                 (1)  evaluate the use of the Internet and other methods

 3-6     of providing access to information and referral services;

 3-7                 (2)  conduct an inventory of all existing information

 3-8     and referral systems including toll-free telephone numbers and

 3-9     state agencies performing information and referral activities; and

3-10                 (3)  recommend a strategy for eliminating duplicative

3-11     toll-free telephone numbers.

3-12           (b)  The task force shall report its findings and

3-13     recommendations to the Health and Human Services Commission not

3-14     later than March 1, 1998, and the commission and other affected

3-15     agencies shall seek to implement those recommendations, with the

3-16     assistance of the task force, not later than July 1, 1998.  The

3-17     task force shall make a follow-up report to the 75th Legislature

3-18     not later than December 1, 1998.  That report must include

3-19     recommendations for statutory changes.

3-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-26     passage, and it is so enacted.