1-1 By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 477 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001; 1-3 April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; April 23, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 23, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the establishment of an interagency plan for 1-9 coordinating case management services for certain recipients of 1-10 financial assistance. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, 1-13 is amended by adding Section 31.0128 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 31.0128. COORDINATED INTERAGENCY PLAN. (a) The 1-15 department and the Texas Workforce Commission shall jointly develop 1-16 and adopt a memorandum of understanding, subject to the approval of 1-17 the Health and Human Services Commission. The memorandum of 1-18 understanding must establish guidelines for a coordinated 1-19 interagency case management plan to: 1-20 (1) identify each recipient of financial assistance 1-21 who has, in comparison to other recipients, higher levels of 1-22 barriers to employment; and 1-23 (2) provide coordinated services that address those 1-24 barriers to assist the recipient in finding and retaining 1-25 employment. 1-26 (b) The department and the Texas Workforce Commission shall: 1-27 (1) jointly develop and adopt a memorandum of 1-28 understanding, subject to the approval of the Health and Human 1-29 Services Commission, that establishes a coordinated interagency 1-30 case management plan consistent with the guidelines established 1-31 under Subsection (a); and 1-32 (2) using existing resources, by rule implement the 1-33 plan to the maximum extent possible through local department and 1-34 commission offices in local workforce development areas in which a 1-35 local workforce development board is not established. 1-36 (c) Each agency by rule shall adopt the memoranda of 1-37 understanding required by this section and all revisions to the 1-38 memoranda. 1-39 (d) In a local workforce development area in which a local 1-40 workforce development board is established, the Texas Workforce 1-41 Commission shall require in the commission's contract with the 1-42 board that the board, in cooperation with local department offices, 1-43 develop and implement a coordinated interagency case management 1-44 plan consistent with the guidelines established under Subsection 1-45 (a). 1-46 SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Texas 1-47 Department of Human Services and the Texas Workforce Commission 1-48 shall adopt the memoranda of understanding required by Section 1-49 31.0128, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, and implement 1-50 by rule to the maximum extent possible the interagency case 1-51 management plan required by Section 31.0128(b), Human Resources 1-52 Code, as added by this Act. 1-53 SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2002, the Texas 1-54 Department of Human Services and the Texas Workforce Commission 1-55 shall jointly prepare and submit to the legislature a report 1-56 regarding any changes in the law necessary to implement the 1-57 interagency case management plan required by Section 31.0128, Human 1-58 Resources Code, as added by this Act. 1-59 SECTION 4. The change in law made by Section 31.0128(d), 1-60 Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a 1-61 contract or other agreement between the Texas Workforce Commission 1-62 and a local workforce development board entered into on or after 1-63 September 1, 2001. A contract or agreement entered into before 1-64 that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the contract 2-1 or agreement was entered into, and the former law is continued in 2-2 effect for that purpose. 2-3 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-4 * * * * *