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.