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.