By Maxey H.B. No. 2877
76R9241 CLG-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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 Section 531.051 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 lease or
1-13 sublease office space to or from a private service provider that
1-14 contracts with the agency to enable agency eligibility and
1-15 enrollment personnel to work with the provider if:
1-16 (1) client access to services would be enhanced; and
1-17 (2) the colocation of offices would improve the
1-18 efficiency of the administration and delivery of services.
1-19 (b) Subchapters D and E, Chapter 2165, do not apply to a
1-20 state agency that leases or subleases office space to a private
1-21 service provider under this section.
1-22 (c) Subchapter B, Chapter 2167, does not apply to a state
1-23 agency that leases or subleases office space from a private service
1-24 provider under this section.
2-1 (d) A state agency is delegated the authority to enter into
2-2 a lease or sublease under this section and may negotiate the terms
2-3 of the lease or sublease.
2-4 (e) To the extent authorized by federal law, a state agency
2-5 may share business resources with a private service provider that
2-6 enters into a lease or sublease agreement with the agency under
2-7 this section.
2-8 SECTION 2. Section 814.1041, Government Code, is amended by
2-9 amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (g) to read
2-10 as follows:
2-11 (a) This section applies only to members of the employee
2-12 class whose positions with the Texas Workforce Commission, the
2-13 Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Human Services,
2-14 or the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation are
2-15 eliminated as a result of contracts with private service providers
2-16 or other reductions in services provided by those agencies and who
2-17 separate from state service at that time.
2-18 (f) The retirement option under this section is not
2-19 available to an employee of the Texas Department of Health or the
2-20 Texas Department of Human Services who receives a cash payment
2-21 under an incentive program implemented by either agency with
2-22 respect to certain employees whose positions are eliminated because
2-23 of privatization or other reductions in services provided by the
2-24 agency.
2-25 (g) This section applies only to positions eliminated by
2-26 privatization or other reductions in workforce before September 1,
2-27 2003 [1999].
3-1 SECTION 3. The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance
3-2 Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is
3-3 amended by adding Section 3B to read as follows:
3-4 Sec. 3B. CERTAIN EMPLOYEES MAY ELECT TO PARTICIPATE. (a)
3-5 This section applies only to a person who separates from state
3-6 service and receives a cash payment under an incentive program
3-7 implemented by the Texas Department of Human Services or the Texas
3-8 Department of Health with respect to certain employees whose
3-9 positions are eliminated as a result of privatization or other
3-10 reductions in services provided by those agencies.
3-11 (b) A person is entitled to receive state contributions
3-12 required to provide health coverage under the program administered
3-13 by the trustee under this Act for two months after the effective
3-14 date of the person's separation from state service.
3-15 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-16 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.