S.B. 1182 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 1182
By: Deuell
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

Senate Bill 1182 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 SB 1182 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.