H.B. 1350 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1350 By: Uresti State Health Care Expenditures, Select Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many children in the State rely on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to provide access and funds for mental health services. However, the level of funding that the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR) receives enables the agency to serve only about 27 percent of children in the agency's projected priority population. As a result, more than 110,000 Texas children who may qualify for publicly funded mental health services remain untreated. Given the huge unmet need, Texas must ensure that the appropriate delivery of mental health and substance abuse services are being provided, and that federal and state dollars are maximized. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the committee that the bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1350 requires the Health and Human Services Commission to review and evaluate all sources of public funding for programs in this state that provide mental health services to children, including programs provided by the juvenile justice system, the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments, and the Texas Education Agency. The bill sets forth provisions for what information is required to be in the evaluations. The bill requires the Health and Human Services Commission to report on the results of the evaluation to the 79th Legislature no later than January 11, 2005. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage if the necessary vote is received, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.