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.