HBA-MPM H.B. 3729 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3729
By: Keel
Human Services
4/6/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Caseloads for food stamps and welfare programs administered by the Texas
Department of Human Services (department) have declined by 35 percent from
the fiscal year 1995 through the fiscal year 1998.  The department's costs
for eligibility determination have not decreased at the same rate, however,
with total costs to administer these two programs dropping by only five
percent over this same period of time.  The department currently does not
have a program in place to report direct, indirect, fixed, or variable
costs for the administration of eligibility determination for these
programs. 

H.B. 3729 requires the department and the Human Services Commission
(commission) to develop and implement a system to allocate and report fixed
and variable costs related to eligibility determination and to identify
factors affecting those costs.  This bill also requires the commission to
report all caseload estimates used by all health and human services
agencies in the preparation of legislative appropriation requests. 

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 Section 531.0274, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(f), as follows: 

(f) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (commission), in
addition to the information required to be contained in the report
contained under Subsection (c) to disclose in the report the caseload
estimates used by each health and human services agency to prepare the
agency's legislative appropriations request. 

Subsection (c) requires the commission to assemble caseload estimates made
by health and human services agencies into a coherent, uniform report and
to update that report quarterly with assistance from those agencies.
Requires the commission to publish the report and make it readily available
to state and local agencies and interested private organizations. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, by adding
Section 531.0275, as follows: 

Sec. 531.0275.  REPORTING OF CERTAIN COSTS RELATED TO ELIGIBILITY
DETERMINATION.  (a) Requires the commission, with the assistance of the
Texas Department of Human Services (department), to develop and implement a
system for the reporting of direct and indirect costs related to the
department's eligibility determination functions. 

(b)  Requires the commission, in determining the reporting system, to:

_provide for the identification of fixed and variable costs;
_identify and address factors affecting those costs, including a change in
caseloads; 
 _include appropriate information related to any new programs administered
by the department or to the Texas Integrated Enrollment Services
initiative; and 
_consult with the Legislative Budget Board and state auditor's office
regarding the identification of other appropriate costs to be reported by
the department. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.