SRC-TJG S.B. 1615 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1615
78R5215 KLA-FBy: Ellis, Rodney
Health & Human Services
4/10/2003
As Filed


DIGEST 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.  As proposed, S.B.
1615 requires the Health and Human Services Commission to create an
interpreter services pilot program for Medicaid recipients. Matching funds
will be contributed by local government entities.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION 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, one of which must be
the Harris County Hospital District. 

(c) Requires HHSC to ensure that the pilot program is financed using
certain money. 

(d) 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. 

(e) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2005.

SECTION 2.  Requires the agency affected by the provision to request the
waiver or authorization and authorizes the agency to delay implementing
that provision until the waiver or authorization is granted, if before
implementing any provision of the Act a state agency determines that a
waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for
implementation of that provision. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.