AN ACT 1-1 relating to a branch office of a home health or personal assistance 1-2 services agency. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. After consulting with the Texas Department of 1-5 Health, the Texas Department of Human Services, and providers and 1-6 consumers of home health and personal assistance services, the 1-7 commissioner of health and human services shall contact the federal 1-8 Health Care Financing Administration to request that the Health 1-9 Care Financing Administration adopt rules that: 1-10 (1) allow a home and community support services agency 1-11 to use modern methods of communication in the supervision of the 1-12 agency's branch offices, including the telephone, fax machines, 1-13 pagers, and electronic mail; and 1-14 (2) eliminate the driving distance requirements for a 1-15 branch office of a home and community support services agency. 1-16 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I hereby certify that S.B. No. 983 passed the Senate on May 10, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 1999, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.B. No. 983 passed the House, with amendment, on May 25, 1999, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Governor