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79R7550 KLA-D

By:  Uresti                                                       H.B. No. 3238



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the closure of local eligibility determination offices 
for health and human services programs.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  (a)  If the Health and Human Services Commission 
intends to close a local office that is operated for the purpose of 
determining an applicant's eligibility for health and human 
services programs, the commission shall:
		(1)  submit a list of each office proposed for closure 
to the legislature and to each local governmental official in a 
political subdivision, including a hospital district, located in 
close geographic proximity to each office proposed for closure;
		(2)  coordinate with members of the legislature and 
local governmental officials from the geographic areas in which 
offices proposed for closure are located to schedule and conduct 
public hearings regarding the proposed closures;  and
		(3)  ensure that transcripts of testimony taken at 
public hearings conducted under Subdivision (2) of this subsection 
are prepared.
	(b)  The Health and Human Services Commission shall ensure 
that, for each office proposed for closure under Subsection (a) of 
this section, the commission conducts a public hearing required 
under Subsection (a)(2) of this section at a location that is not 
more than 30 miles from the office.
	SECTION 2.  The executive commissioner of the Health and 
Human Services Commission shall:
		(1)  report to the governor, the members of the 
standing committees of the senate and house of representatives 
having jurisdiction over health and human services, and the local 
governmental officials from the geographic areas in which local 
eligibility determination offices proposed for closure under 
Section 1 of this Act are located regarding the testimony and 
recommendations received at the public hearings conducted as 
required by that section;  and
		(2)  provide the transcripts of testimony taken at 
those public hearings to the persons listed in Subdivision (1) of 
this section and post those transcripts on the commission's 
Internet website.
	SECTION 3.  The committees of the senate and house of 
representatives having jurisdiction over health and human services 
shall review the report and transcripts provided by the Health and 
Human Services Commission under Section 2 of this Act and make 
recommendations to the commission regarding the proposed 
eligibility determination office closures.  The commission may not 
close an office until the commission receives and considers those 
recommendations.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.