H.B. 1801 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 1801
By: Farabee
Public Health
Committee Report (Amended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Texas Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers have become
integral parts of their local communities.  By serving their communities,
centers have developed a local view of service needs and service
priorities.  State law should acknowledge this fact, and reinforce the
ability of the centers as local mental health and mental retardation
authorities to deploy federal, state and local resources to build service
models in the most cost effective and locally responsive means possible.
The role of the State should be one of establishing broad outcome
requirements while leaving process and resource allocation to be decided
by local communities.  Systems of accountability for outcomes should be
developed and negotiated with centers as local authorities in a manner
that minimizes administrative cost while assuring the reporting of
essential data to track outcomes in service delivery. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1801 amends, the Health and Safety Code to require local mental
health or mental retardation authorities to develop a local service plan
to maximize services by using the most costeffective means to meet the
needs of the local communities according to the relative priority of those
needs.  The bill would require the plans to be consistent with Health and
Safety Codes that relate to administration and coordination of mental
health and mental retardation services at the state and local levels and
that relate to the long-range plan of the Texas Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR).  In developing the plans, local
MHMR authorities would be required to solicit input from certain local
community representatives, MHMR consumers and their families, and others.
The local plan would become the basis for the performance contract between
the agency and local MHMR authority.  The bill would apply only to
contracts executed between the agency and the local authorities on or
after January 1, 2004. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003.  


EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Amends HB 1801 by adding subsections (e) and (f).  The new additions would
require the performance agreement to specify verifiable standard outcomes
for the programs administered by a local authority.  It would also require
measures relating to outputs and units of service delivered to be included
in the performance agreement and recorded in the local authority's
automated data systems.  Copies of these reports should be forwarded to
the Department at least on an annual basis.