S.B. 1615 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1615 By: Ellis, Rodney Human Services Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits recipients of federally funded assistance from being excluded from or discriminated against based on race, color, or national origin. The Office of Civil Rights states that in order to be in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, consumers of federally funded assistance programs should be provided information in the language of their understanding. S.B. 1615 requires the Health and Human Services Commission to create an interpreter services pilot program for Medicaid recipients. Matching funds may be contributed by participating local government entities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, institution, or agency. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 32B, Human Resources Code, by adding Section 32.061, as follows: Sec. 32.061. LANGUAGE INTERPRETER SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish a pilot program to provide recipients of medical assistance with oral and written language interpreter services in accordance with federal law and applicable publications of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. (b) Requires HHSC to establish the pilot program through local governmental entities in sites determined by HHSC. Requires the sites to include certain hospital districts. (c) Requires HHSC to ensure that the pilot program is financed using certain money. (d) Authorizes a participating local governmental entity may provide money to HHSC by certification or intergovernmental transfer to finance the pilot program as described by Subsection (c) (1). (e) Requires HHSC, not later than January 1, 2005, to evaluate the pilot program and report to the 79th Legislature on the effectiveness of the program and the feasibility of expanding the program statewide. (f) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2005. SECTION 2. Authorizes a state agency to delay implementing a provision of the Act until a requested federal waiver or authorization necessary to implement that provision is granted. SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.