By Harris                                              S.B. No. 346
         76R3274 CMR-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to health and human services regions.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 531.0246 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 531.0246.  HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REGIONS.  (a)  The
 1-7     commission may administer health and human services through
 1-8     designated regions of this state.
 1-9           (b)  A health and human services region may not include more
1-10     than one county with a population of one million or more.
1-11           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-12           (b)  Not later than December 1, 1999, the commissioner of
1-13     health and human services shall conform the health and human
1-14     services regions that exist on the effective date of this Act to
1-15     Section 531.0246, Government Code, as added by this Act.
1-16           (c)  On January 1, 2000, the term of a member of the
1-17     Guardianship Advisory Board appointed under Subchapter D, Chapter
1-18     531, Government Code, who represents a health and human services
1-19     region the composition of which has changed to conform to Section
1-20     531.0246, Government Code, as added by this Act, expires. A vacancy
1-21     on the Guardianship Advisory Board that results from the operation
1-22     of this section shall be filled as provided by Section 531.122,
1-23     Government Code.
1-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.