By Raymond H.B. No. 1154 77R519 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to authorizing the Health and Human Services Commission to 1-3 make grants to community-based organizations to provide support for 1-4 long-term care services. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 531.02481, Government Code, is amended by 1-7 amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to read as 1-8 follows: 1-9 (a) The commission, the Texas Department of Human Services, 1-10 and the Texas Department on Aging shall assist communities in this 1-11 state in developing comprehensive, community-based support and 1-12 service delivery systems for long-term care services. At the 1-13 request of a community-based organization or combination of 1-14 community-based organizations, the commission may provide a grant 1-15 to the organization or combination of organizations in accordance 1-16 with Subsection (g). At the request of a community, the commission 1-17 shall provide resources and assistance to the community to enable 1-18 the community to: 1-19 (1) identify and overcome institutional barriers to 1-20 developing more comprehensive community support systems, including 1-21 barriers that result from the policies and procedures of state 1-22 health and human services agencies; 1-23 (2) develop a system of blended funds, consistent with 1-24 the requirements of federal law and the General Appropriations Act, 2-1 to allow the community to customize services to fit individual 2-2 community needs; and 2-3 (3) develop a local system of access and assistance to 2-4 aid clients in accessing the full range of long-term care services. 2-5 (g) In making a grant to a community-based organization, the 2-6 commission shall evaluate the organization's proposal based on 2-7 demonstrated need and the merit of the proposal. If a combination 2-8 of community-based organizations makes a proposal, the combination 2-9 must designate a single organization to receive and administer the 2-10 grant. The commission may adopt guidelines for proposals under 2-11 this subsection. The commission shall give priority to proposals 2-12 that will use the Internet and related information technologies to 2-13 provide to clients referral services, other information regarding 2-14 local long-term care services, and needs assessment. To receive a 2-15 grant under this section, a community-based organization must at 2-16 least partially match the state grant with money or other resources 2-17 obtained from a nongovernmental entity, from a local government, or 2-18 if the community-based organization is a local government, from 2-19 fees or taxes collected by the local government. The 2-20 community-based organization may then combine the money or 2-21 resources the organization obtains from a variety of state, local, 2-22 federal, or private sources to accomplish the purpose of the 2-23 proposal. If a community-based organization receives a grant on 2-24 behalf of a combination of community-based organizations or if the 2-25 community-based organization's proposal involved coordinating with 2-26 other entities to accomplish the purpose of the proposal, the 2-27 commission may condition receipt of the grant on the organization's 3-1 making a good faith effort to coordinate with other entities in the 3-2 manner indicated in the proposal. 3-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.