SRC-MKV H.B. 1154 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterH.B. 1154 77R519 JRD-DBy: Raymond (Zaffirini) Health & Human Services 5/11/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, there is legislation requiring the Health and Human Services Commission to assist communities, at their request, in developing comprehensive, community-based support and service delivery systems for long-term care services. Current legislation does not however, include financial resources to assist with the effort. H.B. 1154 establishes a long-term care local access fund, to be administered by the Health and Human Services Commission, to improve access to long-term care services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 531.02481, Government Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g), as follows: (a) Authorizes the Health and Human Services Commission (commission), at the request of a community-based organization or combination of community-based organizations, to provide a grant to the organization or combination of organizations in accordance with Subsection (g). (g) Requires the commission, in making a grant to a community-based organization, to evaluate the organization's proposal based on demonstrated need and the merit of the proposal. _ Requires that a single organization be designated to receive and administer the grant, if a combination of community-based organizations makes a proposal for a grant. _ Authorizes the commission to adopt guidelines for proposals under this subsection. _ Requires the commission to give priority to proposals that will use the Internet and related information technologies to provide to clients referral services, other information regarding local long-term care services, and needs assessment. _ Requires a community-based organization to at least partially match the state grant with money or other resources obtained from a nongovernmental entity, from a local government, or if the community-based organization is a local government, from fees or taxes collected by the local government, to receive a grant under this section. _ Authorizes the community-based organization to combine the money or resources the organization obtains from a variety of sate, local, federal, or private sources to accomplish the purpose of the proposal. _ Authorizes the commission to condition the receipt of the grant on the organization's making a good faith effort to coordinate with other entities in the manner indicated in the proposal, if a community-based organization receives a grant on behalf of a combination of community-based organizations or if the community-based organization's proposal involved coordinating with other entities to accomplish the purpose of the proposal. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.