75R13174 KKA-D                           

         By Berlanga                                           H.B. No. 2913

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2913:

         By Berlanga                                       C.S.H.B. No. 2913

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of the Health and Human Services

 1-3     Commission to administer and operate the Medicaid managed care

 1-4     program.

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

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 531.021, Government Code, is amended to

 1-7     read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 531.021.  ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICAID PROGRAM.  (a)  The

 1-9     commission is the state agency designated to administer federal

1-10     medical assistance funds.

1-11           (b)  The commission is responsible for the policy,

1-12     administration, evaluation, and operation of the Medicaid managed

1-13     care program.

1-14           (c)  In discharging its duties relating to the Medicaid

1-15     managed care program, the commission shall consult with and

1-16     consider input from the advisory committee created under Section

1-17     531.047 and from each health and human services agency that

1-18     operates part of the Medicaid program.

1-19           (d)  The commissioner or a person designated by the

1-20     commissioner shall supervise employees of health and human services

1-21     agencies in the performance of Medicaid managed care duties.  The

1-22     commissioner or person designated by the commissioner may assign

1-23     duties to employees and require health and human services agencies

1-24     to assign duties to employees as necessary for the commission to

 2-1     discharge its duties relating to the Medicaid managed care program.

 2-2           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is

 2-3     amended by adding Section 531.047 to read as follows:

 2-4           Sec. 531.047.  MEDICAID MANAGED CARE INTERAGENCY ADVISORY

 2-5     COMMITTEE.  (a)  An interagency advisory committee is created to

 2-6     provide assistance and recommendations to the commission relating

 2-7     to the policy, administration, evaluation, and operation of the

 2-8     Medicaid managed care program.  The advisory committee consists of:

 2-9                 (1)  the commissioner or, if designated under

2-10     Subsection (b), the person acting as the state Medicaid director;

2-11                 (2)  a representative of the Texas Department of

2-12     Health, designated by the commissioner of public health;

2-13                 (3)  a representative of the Texas Department of Mental

2-14     Health and Mental Retardation, designated by the commissioner of

2-15     mental health and mental retardation;

2-16                 (4)  a representative of the Texas Department of Human

2-17     Services, designated by the commissioner of human services; and

2-18                 (5)  if considered appropriate by the commissioner, a

2-19     representative of any other state agency with duties relating to

2-20     the Medicaid managed care program, designated by the chief

2-21     administrative officer of that agency.

2-22           (b)  The commissioner may designate the person acting as the

2-23     state Medicaid director to serve on the advisory committee on

2-24     behalf of the commissioner.

2-25           (c)  A member of the advisory committee serves at the will of

2-26     the designating agency.

2-27           (d)  The commissioner or the person acting as the state

 3-1     Medicaid director, as applicable, serves as presiding officer of

 3-2     the advisory committee, and members of the committee may elect

 3-3     other necessary officers.

 3-4           (e)  The advisory committee shall meet at the call of the

 3-5     presiding officer.  The presiding officer shall call a meeting of

 3-6     the committee at least once every two months.

 3-7           (f)  The designating agency is responsible for the expenses

 3-8     of a member's service on the advisory committee.  A member of the

 3-9     advisory committee receives no additional compensation for serving

3-10     on the committee.

3-11           (g)  The advisory committee is not subject to Article

3-12     6252-33, Revised Statutes.

3-13           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

3-14           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.