1-1 By: Lucio S.B. No. 361
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 23, 2001; January 25, 2001,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
1-4 Services; April 4, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0;
1-6 April 4, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 361 By: Carona
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to the membership and activities of the Interagency
1-11 Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13 SECTION 1. Subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (g), Section
1-14 114.003, Human Resources Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-15 (b) The council is composed of:
1-16 (1) seven [two] public members, the majority of whom
1-17 [who] are family members of a person with autism or a [some other]
1-18 pervasive developmental disorder, appointed by the governor with
1-19 the advice and consent of the senate; and
1-20 (2) one representative from each of the following
1-21 state agencies, to serve as ex officio members [appointed by the
1-22 commissioner of the respective agency]:
1-23 (A) Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
1-24 Retardation;
1-25 (B) Texas Department of Health;
1-26 (C) Texas Department of Human Services;
1-27 (D) Texas Education Agency; [and]
1-28 (E) Texas Rehabilitation Commission; and
1-29 (F) Interagency Council on Early Childhood
1-30 Intervention.
1-31 (c) The commissioner or executive head of each state agency
1-32 shall appoint as that agency's representative the person in the
1-33 agency who is most familiar with and best informed about autism and
1-34 other pervasive developmental disorders. An ex officio member
1-35 serves in an advisory capacity only and may not:
1-36 (1) serve as chairperson; or
1-37 (2) vote.
1-38 (d) The public members appointed by the governor serve
1-39 two-year terms that expire on February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
1-40 The public members may be reappointed. A representative of a state
1-41 agency serves at the pleasure of the commissioner or executive head
1-42 of that agency. A public member is entitled to [The members may
1-43 not receive compensation or] reimbursement of the travel [for]
1-44 expenses incurred by the public member while conducting the
1-45 business of the council, as provided in the General Appropriations
1-46 Act.
1-47 (e) The public members of the council shall annually elect
1-48 one public member to serve as chairperson.
1-49 (g) Any actions taken by the council must be approved by a
1-50 majority vote of the public members present.
1-51 SECTION 2. Section 114.004, Human Resources Code, is amended
1-52 to read as follows:
1-53 Sec. 114.004. STAFF SUPPORT. The agencies represented on
1-54 the council shall provide staff support to the council from among
1-55 the agency staff who are responsible for coordinating services to
1-56 persons with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders or
1-57 to those persons' families. The council may require the employment
1-58 of staff to perform clerical duties. The commissioner shall
1-59 determine which agency must employ clerical staff for the council
1-60 [is not authorized to expend any funds on staff salaries].
1-61 SECTION 3. Subsection (c), Section 114.006, Human Resources
1-62 Code, is repealed.
1-63 SECTION 4. As soon as possible after the effective date of
1-64 this Act, the governor shall appoint five new members to the
2-1 Interagency Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders
2-2 as required by Section 114.003, Human Resources Code, as amended by
2-3 this Act.
2-4 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-5 * * * * *