1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the lease of certain facilities and the retirement
1-3 options and health coverage of certain employees in connection with
1-4 implementation of integrated enrollment services for health and
1-5 human services programs.
1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-7 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
1-8 amended by adding Sections 531.051 and 531.052 to read as follows:
1-9 Sec. 531.051. LEASES AND SUBLEASES OF CERTAIN OFFICE SPACE.
1-10 (a) A health and human services agency, with the approval of the
1-11 commission, or the Texas Workforce Commission or any other state
1-12 agency that administers employment services programs may sublease
1-13 office space to a private service entity or lease office space from
1-14 a private service entity that provides publicly funded health,
1-15 human, or workforce services to enable agency eligibility and
1-16 enrollment personnel to work with the entity if:
1-17 (1) client access to services would be enhanced; and
1-18 (2) the colocation of offices would improve the
1-19 efficiency of the administration and delivery of services.
1-20 (b) Subchapters D and E, Chapter 2165, do not apply to a
1-21 state agency that leases office space to a private service entity
1-22 or subleases office space to a private service entity under this
1-23 section.
1-24 (c) Subchapter B, Chapter 2167, does not apply to a state
2-1 agency that leases office space from a private service entity or
2-2 subleases office space from a private service entity under this
2-3 section.
2-4 (d) A state agency is delegated the authority to enter into
2-5 a lease or sublease under this section and may negotiate the terms
2-6 of the lease or sublease.
2-7 (e) To the extent authorized by federal law, a state agency
2-8 may share business resources with a private service entity that
2-9 enters into a lease or sublease agreement with the agency under
2-10 this section.
2-11 Sec. 531.052. ASSUMPTION OF LEASES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF
2-12 INTEGRATED ENROLLMENT SERVICES INITIATIVE. (a) A health and human
2-13 services agency, with the approval of the commission, or the Texas
2-14 Workforce Commission or any other state agency that administers
2-15 employment services programs may assume a lease from an integrated
2-16 enrollment services initiative contractor or subcontractor for the
2-17 purpose of implementing the initiative at one development center,
2-18 one mail center, or 10 or more call or change centers.
2-19 (b) Subchapter B, Chapter 2167, does not apply to a state
2-20 agency that assumes a lease from a contractor or subcontractor
2-21 under this section.
2-22 SECTION 2. Section 814.1041, Government Code, is amended by
2-23 amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (g) to read
2-24 as follows:
2-25 (a) This section applies only to members of the employee
2-26 class whose positions with the Texas Workforce Commission, the
2-27 Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Human Services,
3-1 or the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation are
3-2 eliminated as a result of contracts with private service providers
3-3 or other reductions in services provided by those agencies and who
3-4 separate from state service at that time.
3-5 (f) The retirement option under this section is not
3-6 available to an employee of the Texas Department of Health or the
3-7 Texas Department of Human Services who receives a cash payment
3-8 under an incentive program implemented by either agency with
3-9 respect to certain employees whose positions are eliminated because
3-10 of privatization or other reductions in services provided by the
3-11 agency.
3-12 (g) This section applies only to positions eliminated by
3-13 privatization or other reductions in workforce before September 1,
3-14 2003 [1999].
3-15 SECTION 3. The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance
3-16 Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is
3-17 amended by adding Section 3B to read as follows:
3-18 Sec. 3B. CERTAIN EMPLOYEES MAY ELECT TO PARTICIPATE. (a)
3-19 This section applies only to a person who separates from state
3-20 service and receives a cash payment under an incentive program
3-21 implemented by the Texas Department of Human Services or the Texas
3-22 Department of Health with respect to certain employees whose
3-23 positions are eliminated as a result of privatization or other
3-24 reductions in services provided by those agencies.
3-25 (b) A person is entitled to receive state contributions
3-26 required to provide health coverage under the program administered
3-27 by the trustee under this Act for two months after the effective
4-1 date of the person's separation from state service.
4-2 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-3 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
4-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2877 was passed by the House on May
4, 1999, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2877 on May 22, 1999, by a non-record
vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2877 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 20, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor