SRC-DBM S.B. 642 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 642
76R6434  KKA-DBy: Zaffirini
Health Services
3/25/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, public services to assist adults with disabilities are
fragmented among a variety of state agencies.  These adults face a maze of
programs with different eligibility criteria, multiple case managers and
overlapping services that are confusing to clients and staff alike.  Adults
with disabilities often need a number of services; however, they find the
state cannot effectively coordinate the services. S.B. 642 would provide
coordination of services for adults with multiple disabilities.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 642 provides coordination of services for adults with
multiple disabilities. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Health and Human Services
Commission, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas
Commission for the Blind, the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing, the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments, the Texas
Education Agency, the Texas Department on Aging, the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice, the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs, the Texas Department of Human Services, the
Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas Rehabilitation Commission,
and the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 531.051(e),
Chapter 531B, Government Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 531B, Government Code, by adding Section 531.051
as follows: 

Sec. 531.051.  MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SERVICES FOR ADULTS WITH
MULTIPLE DISABILITIES.  Requires the Health and Human Services Commission
(commission), the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas
Commission for the Blind, the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing, the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments, the Texas
Education Agency, the Texas Department on Aging, the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice, the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs, the Texas Department of Human Services, the
Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas Rehabilitation Commission,
and the Texas Workforce Commission to adopt a joint memorandum of
understanding to implement a system of local level interagency staffing
groups to coordinate services for adults with multiple disabilities.  Sets
forth the required information to be included in the joint memorandum of
understanding. Requires the commission and other agencies specified by
Subsection (a) to consult with and solicit input from appropriate advocacy
and consumer groups; to consult with and solicit input from representatives
of local interagency staffing groups established under the memorandum of
understanding required by Section 264.003, Family Code, regarding the
transition of a person receiving services from programs for children and
youth into programs providing services for adults; and to seek to produce a
coordinated system for adults similar to the coordinated system for
multiproblem children and youth established under the joint memorandum of
understanding required by Section 264.003, Family Code.  Requires the
participating agencies to review and update the joint memorandum of
understanding required by this section no later than the last month of each
state fiscal year.  Requires each participating agency to adopt, by rule,
the joint memorandum of understanding and all revisions to the memorandum.
Requires the commission  to establish outcome standards to be used by the
commission in measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the system
established under this section.  Requires each participating agency other
than the commission to provide the commission with information relating to
the costs of services provided by that agency in accordance with the
memorandum of understanding, the sources for those services, and any other
information considered necessary by the commission. 

SECTION 2.Requires the Health and Human Services Commission and each agency
listed in Section 531.051, Government Code, to adopt the joint memorandum
of understanding required by that section no later than November 1, 1999. 

SECTION 3.Requires the Health and Human Services Commission to submit a
report to the governor and legislature relating to the joint memorandum of
understanding, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the system
of coordinated services,  required by Section 531.051, Government Code, as
added by this Act, no later than September 1, 2000. 

SECTION 4.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.