1-1     By:  Moncrief                                          S.B. No. 514

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1997; February 12, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human

 1-4     Services; April 2, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 2, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to requiring the Health and Human Services Commission to

 1-9     promulgate uniform fair hearing rules for all Medicaid-funded

1-10     services.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 531.024, Government Code, is amended to

1-13     read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 531.024.  Planning and Delivery of Health and Human

1-15     Services.  The commissioner shall:

1-16                 (1)  facilitate and enforce coordinated planning and

1-17     delivery of health and human services, including:

1-18                       (A)  compliance with the coordinated strategic

1-19     plan;

1-20                       (B)  co-location of services;

1-21                       (C)  integrated intake; and

1-22                       (D)  coordinated referral and case management;

1-23                 (2)  develop with the Department of Information

1-24     Resources automation standards for computer systems to enable

1-25     health and human services agencies to share pertinent data;

1-26                 (3)  establish and enforce uniform regional boundaries

1-27     for all health and human services agencies;

1-28                 (4)  carry out statewide health and human services

1-29     needs surveys and forecasting; [and]

1-30                 (5)  perform independent special-outcome evaluations of

1-31     health and human services programs and activities; and

1-32                 (6)  promulgate uniform fair hearing rules for all

1-33     Medicaid-funded services.

1-34           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-35           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-36     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-37     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-38     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-39     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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