By Barrientos                                   S.B. No. 1532

      75R8589 CLG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to eligibility determination and service delivery of

 1-3     health and human services.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 531.022(c), Government Code, is amended

 1-6     to read as follows:

 1-7           (c)  The plan must include the following goals:

 1-8                 (1)  the development of a comprehensive, statewide

 1-9     approach to the planning of health and human services;

1-10                 (2)  the creation of a continuum of care for families

1-11     and individuals in need of health and human services;

1-12                 (3)  the integration of eligibility determination for

1-13     health and human services to provide for the efficient and timely

1-14     delivery of those services;

1-15                 (4)  the maximization of existing resources through

1-16     effective funds management and the sharing of administrative

1-17     functions;

1-18                 (5)  the effective use of management information

1-19     systems to continually improve service delivery;

1-20                 (6)  the provision of systemwide accountability through

1-21     effective monitoring mechanisms;

1-22                 (7)  the promotion of teamwork among the health and

1-23     human services agencies and the provision of incentives for

1-24     creativity; and

 2-1                 (8)  the fostering of innovation at the local level.

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

 2-3     amended by adding Section 531.0241 to read as follows:

 2-4           Sec. 531.0241.  STREAMLINING DELIVERY OF SERVICES.  To

 2-5     streamline service delivery and facilitate access to services, the

 2-6     commissioner may request a health and human services agency to take

 2-7     a specific action and may recommend the manner in which the

 2-8     streamlining is to be accomplished, including requesting each

 2-9     health and human services agency to:

2-10                 (1)  simplify agency procedures;

2-11                 (2)  automate agency procedures;

2-12                 (3)  coordinate service planning and management tasks

2-13     between and among health and human services agencies;

2-14                 (4)  reallocate staff resources;

2-15                 (5)  adopt rules;

2-16                 (6)  amend, waive, or repeal existing rules; or

2-17                 (7)  take other necessary actions.

2-18           SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is

2-19     amended by adding Section 531.0244 to read as follows:

2-20           Sec. 531.0244.  INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN

2-21     SERVICES.  (a)  The commission may not implement an integrated

2-22     service delivery system for health and human services at the state,

2-23     local, or regional level.

2-24           (b)  The commission may not consult or coordinate with the

2-25     State Council on Competitive Government to make or implement

2-26     recommendations on services or functions of the integrated

2-27     eligibility determination system that could be provided more

 3-1     effectively through the use of competitive bidding or by

 3-2     contracting with local governments and other appropriate entities.

 3-3           (c)  If the commission determines that services or functions

 3-4     of an integrated eligibility determination system can be provided

 3-5     more effectively by a private entity, the commission may, subject

 3-6     to the availability of funds appropriated for that purpose,

 3-7     contract with a private entity to conduct application processing

 3-8     and may automate the determination of client eligibility, but only

 3-9     if those services and functions can be provided in a manner that

3-10     does not displace a person's interaction with a client during the

3-11     applications process.

3-12           SECTION 4.  Sections 9.06 and 9.13, Chapter 655, Acts of the

3-13     74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, are repealed.

3-14           SECTION 5.  The Health and Human Services Commission shall

3-15     submit to the 76th Legislature a report on the effect of the

3-16     integrated eligibility determination system on the clients of

3-17     health and human services agencies.  The report must include:

3-18                 (1)  the expenditures the commission has incurred in

3-19     implementing the system; and

3-20                 (2)  the cost savings achieved by the implementation of

3-21     the system.

3-22           SECTION 6.  (a)  In addition to the substantive changes made

3-23     by this Act, this Act conforms Section 531.0241, Government Code,

3-24     as added by this Act, to Section 9.06, Chapter 655, Acts of the

3-25     74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

3-26           (b)  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over

3-27     another Act of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,

 4-1     relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted

 4-2     codes.

 4-3           SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the

 4-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 4-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 4-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 4-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 4-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 4-9     passage, and it is so enacted.