By:  Moncrief                                          S.B. No. 514

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to requiring the Health and Human Services Commission to

 1-2     promulgate uniform fair hearing rules for all Medicaid-funded

 1-3     services.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 531.024, Government Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 531.024.  Planning and Delivery of Health and Human

 1-8     Services.  The commissioner shall:

 1-9                 (1)  facilitate and enforce coordinated planning and

1-10     delivery of health and human services, including:

1-11                       (A)  compliance with the coordinated strategic

1-12     plan;

1-13                       (B)  co-location of services;

1-14                       (C)  integrated intake; and

1-15                       (D)  coordinated referral and case management;

1-16                 (2)  develop with the Department of Information

1-17     Resources automation standards for computer systems to enable

1-18     health and human services agencies to share pertinent data;

1-19                 (3)  establish and enforce uniform regional boundaries

1-20     for all health and human services agencies;

1-21                 (4)  carry out statewide health and human services

1-22     needs surveys and forecasting; [and]

1-23                 (5)  perform independent special-outcome evaluations of

 2-1     health and human services programs and activities; and

 2-2                 (6)  promulgate uniform fair hearing rules for all

 2-3     Medicaid-funded services.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.