By Hardcastle                                         H.B. No. 1696
         77R4482 YDB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the membership and activities of the Interagency
 1-3     Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Sections 114.003(b)-(e) and (g), Human Resources
 1-6     Code, are amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  The council is composed of:
 1-8                 (1)  seven [two] public members the majority of whom
 1-9     [who] are family members of a person with autism or a [some other]
1-10     pervasive developmental disorder, appointed by the governor with
1-11     the advice and consent of the senate; and
1-12                 (2)  one representative from each of the following
1-13     state agencies, to serve as ex officio members [appointed by the
1-14     commissioner of the respective agency]:
1-15                       (A)  Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
1-16     Retardation;
1-17                       (B)  Texas Department of Health;
1-18                       (C)  Texas Department of Human Services;
1-19                       (D)  Texas Education Agency;  [and]
1-20                       (E)  Texas Rehabilitation Commission; and
1-21                       (F)  Interagency Council on Early Childhood
1-22     Intervention.
1-23           (c)  The commissioner or executive head of each state agency
1-24     shall appoint as that agency's representative the person in the
 2-1     agency who is most familiar with and best informed about autism and
 2-2     other pervasive developmental disorders.  An ex officio member
 2-3     serves in an advisory capacity only and may not:
 2-4                 (1)  serve as chairperson; or
 2-5                 (2)  vote.
 2-6           (d)  The public members appointed by the governor serve
 2-7     two-year terms that expire on February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
 2-8     The public members may be reappointed.  A representative of a state
 2-9     agency serves at the pleasure of the commissioner or executive head
2-10     of that agency.  A public member is entitled to [The members may
2-11     not receive] compensation and [or] reimbursement of the travel
2-12     [for] expenses incurred by the public member while conducting the
2-13     business of the council, as provided in the General Appropriations
2-14     Act.
2-15           (e)  The public members of the council shall annually elect
2-16     one public member to serve as chairperson.
2-17           (g)  Any actions taken by the council must be approved by a
2-18     majority vote of the public members present.
2-19           SECTION 2. Section 114.004, Human Resources Code, is amended
2-20     to read as follows:
2-21           Sec. 114.004.  STAFF SUPPORT.  The agencies represented on
2-22     the council shall provide staff support to the council from among
2-23     the agency staff who are responsible for coordinating services to
2-24     persons with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders or
2-25     to those persons' families.  The council may employ staff and [is
2-26     not authorized to] expend [any] funds on staff salaries.
2-27           SECTION 3. Section 114.006(c), Human Resources Code, is
 3-1     repealed.
 3-2           SECTION 4. As soon as possible after the effective date of
 3-3     this Act, the governor shall appoint five new members to the
 3-4     Interagency Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders
 3-5     as required by Section 114.003, Human Resources Code, as amended by
 3-6     this Act.
 3-7           SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.