H.B. 2373 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2373 By: Phillips Human Services Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Veterans Land Board owns four Texas State Veterans Homes. They are located in Temple, Bonham, Big Spring and Floresville. The Texas State Veterans Homes are licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code. Section 242.096 of the code establishes an emergency assistance fund of $10,000,000 to be used to meet the basic needs of residents should a licensed home come into receivership. Currently under provisions of the Health and Safety Code, the Texas Department of Human Services is authorized to assess a fee against all licensed convalescent or nursing homes if the corpus of the fund drops below $10,000,000, and the fee may be assessed more than once each year. House Bill 2373 exempts the Texas State Veterans' Homes program from the trust fund fee assessment under the Health and Safety Code. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY The bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2373 amends the Health and Safety Code to exempt the Texas State Veterans' Homes program from the trust fund fee assessment under the Health and Safety Code. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage if the Act receives the necessary vote, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.