HBA-DMD H.B. 2471 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2471
By: Maxey
Human Services
3/18/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Department of Human Services (department) has a "need
based waiting list" of applicants for community care programs. This waiting
list determines which applicant will be served first based on information
provided by each applicant and then selects the applicants accordingly.
This may cause applicants to overstate their needs in order to secure
assistance as quickly as possible. H.B. 2471 requires the department to
implement a waiting list which requires that applicants be selected based
on the order in which their applications are received by the department.  

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 35, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
35.0031, as follows: 

Sec. 35.0031. WAITING LISTS. Requires the Texas Department of Human
Services (department) to implement a waiting list of eligible applicants
for each community care program supported under this chapter. Requires
applicants, except as provided by the procedures and guidelines adopted by
the department under Section 35.002(1), to be selected for participation in
a program on the basis of the order in which the applications are received
by the department. Section 35.002(1) relates to procedures and guidelines
for determining eligibility standards relating to financial qualifications
and the need for services and for determining eligibility criteria for
selecting clients to receive assistance. 

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.