By: Zaffirini, Nelson, Ellis S.B. No. 273
Haywood
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to development of a statewide consumer guide for senior
1-2 citizens.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
1-5 amended by adding Section 403.026 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 403.026. SENIOR CITIZEN CONSUMER GUIDE; INTERAGENCY
1-7 WORK GROUP. (a) The comptroller shall develop and annually update
1-8 a statewide consumer guide for senior citizens designed to assist
1-9 senior citizens and their families in making informed choices
1-10 regarding available senior services. The guide must:
1-11 (1) contain a directory of service providers for
1-12 senior citizens in a format developed by the interagency work group
1-13 created under Subsection (b) and arranged by geographical area if
1-14 appropriate;
1-15 (2) contain comprehensive information on services
1-16 available to senior citizens, including long-term care services,
1-17 housing assistance, meals, personal care, and transportation;
1-18 (3) enable a senior citizen or a person assisting a
1-19 senior citizen to identify and assess each option available for
1-20 meeting a senior citizen's individual needs; and
1-21 (4) prominently display:
1-22 (A) the regional toll-free access number of the
1-23 appropriate area agency on aging; and
2-1 (B) the toll-free number of the Texas Department
2-2 on Aging.
2-3 (b) An interagency work group is created to assist the
2-4 comptroller in developing and updating the guide. The work group
2-5 is composed of representatives from:
2-6 (1) the comptroller's office, appointed by the
2-7 comptroller;
2-8 (2) the Texas Department on Aging, appointed by the
2-9 executive director of that agency;
2-10 (3) the Texas Department of Human Services, appointed
2-11 by the commissioner of human services;
2-12 (4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
2-13 Affairs, appointed by the director of that agency; and
2-14 (5) the Health and Human Services Commission,
2-15 appointed by the commissioner of health and human services.
2-16 (c) The comptroller may request that other state agencies or
2-17 universities designate representatives to serve on the work group
2-18 in addition to the representatives listed in Subsection (b) if the
2-19 agency or university requested to participate has an employee with
2-20 specialized expertise or knowledge of a subject matter to be
2-21 included in the guide.
2-22 (d) A member of the work group serves at the will of the
2-23 appointing entity.
2-24 (e) The comptroller shall appoint a member of the work group
2-25 to serve as presiding officer, and members of the work group shall
3-1 elect any other necessary officers.
3-2 (f) The work group shall meet at the call of the presiding
3-3 officer.
3-4 (g) The appointing entity is responsible for the expenses of
3-5 a member's service on the work group. A member of the work group
3-6 receives no additional compensation for serving on the work group.
3-7 (h) The work group is not subject to Article 6252-33,
3-8 Revised Statutes.
3-9 (i) The entities listed in Subsections (b)(2)-(5) shall take
3-10 all action necessary to assist the comptroller in developing and
3-11 updating the guide, including providing staff with expertise in
3-12 information and referral services and other necessary information,
3-13 but may not diminish services required to be provided by other law.
3-14 (j) The work group may modify the contents of the guide if
3-15 the modifications do not detract from the goal of increasing
3-16 consumer access to senior services.
3-17 (k) The comptroller shall make the guide available to:
3-18 (1) the public through the Internet; and
3-19 (2) each area agency on aging and, on request, to
3-20 another state agency in electronic format.
3-21 (l) In conducting the work needed to develop the statewide
3-22 consumer guide for senior citizens, the interagency work group
3-23 shall consult with consumer and provider groups involved in the
3-24 delivery of long-term care services.
3-25 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 101, Human Resources Code,
4-1 is amended by adding Section 101.031 to read as follows:
4-2 Sec. 101.031. SENIOR CITIZEN CONSUMER GUIDE; SUPPORT AND
4-3 DISTRIBUTION. (a) The board by rule shall require an area agency
4-4 on aging to submit annually to the comptroller current information
4-5 on local service providers and resources for senior citizens for
4-6 inclusion in the senior citizen consumer guide created under
4-7 Section 403.026, Government Code. Each agency shall provide the
4-8 information in a format prescribed by the comptroller.
4-9 (b) An area agency on aging shall make the guide available
4-10 to as many senior citizens in the agency's service area as
4-11 possible.
4-12 SECTION 3. Not later than January 10, 1998, each area agency
4-13 on aging shall submit to the comptroller of public accounts
4-14 information on local resources for senior citizens in the agency's
4-15 area for inclusion in the initial senior citizen consumer guide
4-16 created under Section 403.026, Government Code, as added by this
4-17 Act.
4-18 SECTION 4. Prior to completion of the guide, the comptroller
4-19 of public accounts shall provide opportunity for review and comment
4-20 of the guide under development to consumer and provider groups
4-21 involved in the delivery of long-term care services. Not later
4-22 than February 14, 1998, the comptroller shall complete development
4-23 of the senior citizen consumer guide required by Section 403.026,
4-24 Government Code, as added by this Act, and make the guide available
4-25 in the manner required by that section.
5-1 SECTION 5. Not later than January 15, 1999, the interagency
5-2 work group created under Subsection (b), Section 403.026,
5-3 Government Code, as added by this Act, shall prepare and deliver to
5-4 the clerks of the standing committees of the senate and house of
5-5 representatives with primary jurisdiction over human services a
5-6 report concerning the effectiveness of the senior citizen consumer
5-7 guide required by Section 403.026, Government Code, as added by
5-8 this Act.
5-9 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
5-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-14 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-15 passage, and it is so enacted.