By Maxey, Wohlgemuth, Keffer, Christian,               H.B. No. 822
         76R9481 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the creation of a task force composed of state and
 1-3     county representatives to study federal reimbursements to counties.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  (a)  The task force on federal reimbursements to
 1-6     counties is composed of:
 1-7                 (1)  the commissioner of health and human services, as
 1-8     presiding officer;
 1-9                 (2)  three persons representing counties appointed by
1-10     the governor;
1-11                 (3)  three persons representing counties appointed by
1-12     the lieutenant governor;
1-13                 (4)  three persons representing counties appointed by
1-14     the speaker of the house of representatives;
1-15                 (5)  three persons representing counties appointed by
1-16     the comptroller; and
1-17                 (6)  one representative of each agency listed by this
1-18     subdivision appointed by the governing body of the agency:  the
1-19     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas Youth
1-20     Commission, the Texas Department of Health, the office of the
1-21     attorney general, the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas
1-22     Juvenile Probation Commission, the Texas Department of Mental
1-23     Health and Mental Retardation, and the Texas Workforce Commission.
1-24           (b)  The task force shall:
1-25                 (1)  study the changes needed to increase federal
 2-1     reimbursements to county governments;
 2-2                 (2)  identify ways to increase the reimbursement the
 2-3     federal government pays for the indirect costs that counties incur
 2-4     in administering aid programs; and
 2-5                 (3)  identify methods of training employees on ways to
 2-6     increase federal reimbursements.
 2-7           (c)  The task force shall report on its findings to the 77th
 2-8     Legislature not later than January 15, 2001.
 2-9           (d)  The state agencies listed by Subsection (a)(6) of this
2-10     section shall provide staff support to enable the task force to
2-11     carry out its duties.
2-12           (e)  If the office of the commissioner of health and human
2-13     services is abolished, the comptroller shall serve on the task
2-14     force as its presiding officer.
2-15           (f)  This Act expires February 1, 2001.
2-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-22     passage, and it is so enacted.