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.