HBA-NLM H.B. 2244 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2244 By: Maxey Human Services 3/15/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 1991, the legislature authorized the Health and Human Services Commission (commission) to begin planning for the integration of public and client transit services. This was approved with the understanding that affordable, accessible, dependable transportation services are critical to elderly, low-income, and disabled Texans. Other state agencies have voluntarily cooperated with the commission, which has worked to gather input from a wide range of transportation stakeholders, initiated a state agency transportation coordinating council, developed and supported local transportation coordination pilot projects, and studied transportation models and solutions from Texas and other states. As a result, the commission's plans and recommendations focus on locally led coordination of services, supported by improved integration of policies, rules, contracting, and reporting. It is the goal of the commission to increase the effectiveness of limited transit services by developing better agency coordination and integration of transportation resources. H.B. 2244 establishes that the Health and Human Services Office of Community Transportation Services (office) is in the Health and Human Services Commission. This bill requires the office, with the assistance from the commissioner of health and human services (commissioner), to collect data, create a statewide coordination plan that provides for coordinated, community-based services, establish a standardized system of reporting and accounting to be used by all health and human services agencies providing client transportation, and to perform other specified duties. This bill creates the Council on Coordinated Transportation as an advisory committee to assist the office and the commissioner in performing certain duties. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 131, Human Resources Code, as follows: CHAPTER 131. New Title: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICE OF COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. Deletes "and planning office" from title. Sec. 131.001. OFFICE. Establishes that the Health and Human Services Office of Community Transportation Services (office) is in the Health and Human Services Commission. Makes a conforming change. Sec. 131.002. DEFINITIONS. Defines "commissioner," "health and human services agency," and "office." Sec. 131.003. POWERS AND DUTIES. Requires the office, with assistance from the commissioner of health and human services (commissioner), to collect data, create a statewide coordination plan that provides for coordinated, community-based services, establish a standardized system of reporting and accounting to be used by all health and human services agencies providing client transportation, and other existing duties as described by this section. Requires the office to coordinate with the commission and human services agencies in implementing the goals listed in Section 531.022(c) (Coordinated Strategic Plan for Health and Human Services), Government Code, rather than Section 10(b), Article 4413(502), Revised Statutes. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. Sec. 131.004. STAFF. Requires the commissioner to employ staff needed to carry out the duties of the office and the Council on Coordinated Transportation (council) created under Section 131.007. Makes nonsubstantive changes. Sec. 131.005. REPORTING AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEM. Requires each health and human services agency that provides, purchases, or otherwise funds transportation services for clients to: (1) comply with the standardized system of reporting and accounting established under Section 131.003; (2) make any necessary changes to agency data collection systems to achieve the standardization of the system; and (3) submit a report to the office relating to transportation services that complies with the standardized system by August 31 of each year. Sec. 131.006. IMPLEMENTATION OF STATEWIDE COORDINATION PLAN. Provides that in order to implement the statewide coordination plan created by the office under Section 131.003, the office is required to: _review rules, policies, contracts, grants, and funding mechanisms relating to transportation services of certain agencies to determine whether they are consistent with the plan; _make recommendations for revisions if the mechanisms are determined to be inconsistent with the plan; and _submit a report by electronic mail and by hand delivery to the governor, the secretary of state, the Legislative Budget Board, and the commissioner relating to the results of the review conducted by the office under this section. Sec. 131.007. COUNCIL ON COORDINATED TRANSPORTATION. Creates the council as an advisory committee to assist the office and the commissioner in performing the duties specified in this chapter. Specifies that the council consists of 11 voting members and four nonvoting members and sets forth which members may vote on council action and which members are prohibited from voting on council action. Entitles a member of the legislature, or a member appointed to represent a state agency or local workforce development board, or other members of the council to reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses as described by this section. Requires the representative of the commission to serve as presiding officer of the council. Authorizes voting members of the council to elect any other necessary officers. Provides that the council is not subject to Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code. SECTION 2. Requires the office and the commissioner by January 1, 2001, to create the statewide coordination plan required by Section 131.003, Human Resources Code, as amended by this Act. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.