SRC-JXG H.B. 822 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 822 76R9481 DRH-DBy: Maxey (Cain) Human Services 4/26/1999 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, Texas counties are responsible for administering county finances, recording vital statistics, holding elections, preserving law and order, administering justice through the courts, building and maintaining county roads, and providing health and welfare services. Six Texas counties account for 40 percent of the state's population, which require an extensive array of social services programs. H.B. 822 would establish a task force of state agencies and county representatives to identify and remedy problems in local government, and would determine how they might work together to ensure that counties receive the maximum federal reimbursement for their services. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 822 establishes a task force composed of state agencies and county representatives to study federal reimbursements to counties. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. (a) Provides that the task force on federal reimbursements to counties (task force) is composed of the commissioner of health and human services, as presiding officer; three persons representing counties appointed by the governor; three persons representing counties appointed by the lieutenant governor; three persons representing counties appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; three persons representing counties appointed by the comptroller; and one representative of each agency listed by this subdivision appointed by the governing body of the agency: the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas Youth Commission, the Texas Department of Health, the office of the attorney general, the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and the Texas Workforce Commission. (b) Requires the task force to study the changes needed to increase federal reimbursements to county governments, identify ways to increase the reimbursement the federal government pays for the indirect cost that counties incur in administering aid programs, and identify methods of training employees on ways to increase federal reimbursements. (c) Requires the task force to report on its findings to the 77th Legislature no later than January 15, 2001. (d) Requires the state agencies listed by Subsection (a)(6) of this section to provide staff support to enable the task force to carry out its duties. (e) Requires the comptroller to serve on the task force as its presiding officer, if the office of the commissioner of health and human services is abolished. (f) Provides that this Act expires February 1, 2001. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.