C.S.S.B. 60 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.S.B. 60
By: Zaffirini
Human Services
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, at least one in ten children and adolescents may suffer from
serious emotional disturbance that severely disrupts their lives at home,
at school, and in the community. Prevalence estimates for Texas indicate
that more than 600,000 children have a mental disorder. However, the Texas
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was able to provide
services to only a portion of these children, about 38,000, in fiscal year
2001. Over the past fifteen years, Texas has taken steps to create a
coordinated response across state agencies to address the needs of
children with serious emotional disturbances. C.S.S.B. 60 implements a
"consortium" that oversees the Texas Integrated Funding Initiative and
reviews evaluations of systems of care services performed by community
resource coordination groups for coordination between state agencies to
enhance the method in which services are provided to children who suffer
from emotional disturbances and streamline administrative operations and
expenses. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill expressly grants additional rulemaking to an agency, as
appropriate, in SECTION 1 (Sec. 531.404, Government Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

CSSB 60 amends the Government Code to require each community resource
coordination group (group) to evaluate the provision of systems of care
services in the community that the group serves. The bill sets forth
parameters for the evaluation.  The bill requires each group to create a
report that includes the evaluation and makes related recommendations,
including suggested policy and statutory changes at agencies that provide
systems of care services; and recommendations for overcoming barriers to
the provision of systems of care services and improving the integration of
those services.  The bill requires each group to submit the report to the
consortium, and requires the consortium to provide a deadline to each
group for submitting the reports.   

CSSB 60 requires the consortium to create a summary report based on the
evaluations in the reports submitted to the consortium by the groups.  The
bill sets forth what information is to be included in the report by the
consortium.  The consortium is required to provide a copy of the report to
each agency for which the report makes a recommendation and to other
agencies as appropriate.   

CSSB 60 requires an agency, as appropriate, to adopt rules, policy
changes, and memoranda of understanding with other agencies to implement
the recommendations in the report. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the necessary vote is not received, the Act takes effect
September 1, 2003. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

CSSB 60 differs from the original by removing the definitions of "system
of care agency" and adds the definition "consortium" and "community
resource coordination group" to the bill.  The substitute removes all
provisions pertaining to the operation of the system of care agency and
replaces them with provisions for the operation of the consortium.