1-1 By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 159 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed December 8, 2000; January 11, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; February 19, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 1; 1-6 February 19, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 159 By: Shapleigh 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to establishing a competitive grant program for projects 1-11 that are designed to improve the quality of life for residents of a 1-12 convalescent or nursing home and that could serve as a model of 1-13 best practices for the convalescent and nursing home industry. 1-14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-15 SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 242, Health and Safety 1-16 Code, is amended by adding Section 242.405 to read as follows: 1-17 Sec. 242.405. BEST PRACTICES/QUALITY OF LIFE COMPETITIVE 1-18 GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish a best 1-19 practices/quality of life competitive grant program. The purpose 1-20 of the grant program is to pay part of the costs of a project 1-21 proposed by an institution that is designed to improve the quality 1-22 of life for residents of the institution and that could serve as a 1-23 model of best practices for the industry. The department shall 1-24 monitor the expenditure of grant money to ensure that the money is 1-25 being used for the intended purpose. 1-26 (b) The legislature may appropriate money collected under 1-27 Section 242.066, including unexpended and unobligated amounts 1-28 collected under Section 242.066 during a previous state fiscal 1-29 biennium, to fund the grant program. 1-30 (c) The department shall establish guidelines for the grant 1-31 program by rule, including guidelines that specify: 1-32 (1) the procedures for submitting a grant proposal; 1-33 (2) the criteria the department will follow in 1-34 evaluating the proposals; and 1-35 (3) the reports that a grant recipient must file to 1-36 allow the department and the industry to evaluate the feasibility 1-37 and success of the project. 1-38 (d) The department shall award each grant under a contract. 1-39 A contract may further detail: 1-40 (1) reports that the grant recipient must file; and 1-41 (2) monitoring of the project that the grant recipient 1-42 must allow. 1-43 (e) The department shall post a summary on its Internet site 1-44 of best practices under this program and shall advise the industry 1-45 of the location of this best practices Internet site. 1-46 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-47 * * * * *