By:  Truitt                                                       H.B. No. 3127



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the designation and powers of local health and human 
services authorities.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 531.063 to read as follows:
	Sec. 531.063.  LOCAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITIES.  
(a)  The commission may designate local health and human services 
authorities to provide services for which the commission is 
responsible, or to provide services for which other health and 
human services agencies are responsible, in designated local 
service areas of this state.  The commission may delegate to an 
authority the authority and responsibility for planning, policy 
development, coordination, resource allocation, resource 
development, and oversight related to health and human services in 
the authority's local service area.
	(b)  The commission may designate as a local health and human 
services authority a local mental health and mental retardation 
authority designated under Title 7, Health and Safety Code, to 
serve the same local service area, and a local mental health and 
mental retardation authority may apply to the commission for its 
redesignation as a local health and human services authority.
	(c)  A local health and human services agency designated 
under this section has all the responsibilities and duties of:
		(1)  a local mental health and mental retardation 
authority provided by Section 533.035, Health and Safety Code, and 
Subchapter B, Chapter 534, Health and Safety Code;
		(2)  a local behavioral health authority under Section 
533.0356, Health and Safety Code, and
		(3)  responsibilities and duties for health or human 
services as determined by the commission.
	(d)  In planning and implementing the provision of services 
as determined by the commission, a local health and human services 
authority shall ensure that money spent for services are used in 
accordance with regulatory and statutory requirements for the use 
of the money.
	(e)  The commission may disburse state or federal money to a 
local health and human services authority for services by contract 
or by a case-rate or capitated arrangement or by another method of 
allocation.
	(f)  In determining whether to designate a local health and 
human services authority to serve a local service area, the 
commission shall solicit and consider written comments from any 
interested person, including community representatives, persons 
who may be consumers of the proposed services, and family members of 
those persons.
	(g)  The commission has full supervisory control over a local 
health and human services authority designated under this section.  
The authority shall demonstrate to the commission that services 
involving the expenditure of state or federal money comply with 
state and federal standards for the expenditures and deliver of the 
services.
	(h)  The commission shall adopt rules governing the 
operations of local health and human services authorities.
	(i)  The commission may assign a local health and human 
services authority the duty to provide a single point of entry for 
its assigned services.
	SECTION 2.  The Health and Human Services Commission shall 
determine whether local mental health and mental retardation 
authorities and local behavioral health authorities in operation on 
the effective date of this Act may conveniently and 
cost-effectively serve as local health and human services 
authorities as authorized by Section 531.059, Government Code, as 
added by this Act.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.