| TO: | Honorable Dianne White Delisi, Chair, House Committee on Public Health |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB289 by Delisi (Relating to the expansion of faith- and community-based health and human services and social services initiatives.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
Section one of the bill would require an interagency coordinating group of governmental liaisons for faith and community-based organizations. The section establishes the Renewing Our Communities Account (ROCA) as an account in the General Revenue Fund that may only be appropriated to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). A contract or grant would be awarded to the administrative entity designated (in accordance with the National and Community Service Act of 1990) as the State Commission on National and Community Service that would administer funds appropriated from the account.
The bill would require creation of a task force on strengthening nonprofit capacity. It would hold public meetings using the ROCA for expenditures, to the extent funds are available. The bill creates the Renewing Our Communities Account Advisory Committee to monitor and make suggestions concerning the account.
Section two of the bill requires HHSC to establish a searchable Internet database of opportunities throughout the state for volunteers to provide assistance to state agencies in delivering services, and to faith- and community-based organizations that partner with a state agency to provide services.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house; if it does not, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2007.
The grant-making requirement of section one would likely have a cost. It is assumed that no funds would be appropriated to the Renewing Our Communities Account; all funds deposited to the account would be from gifts, grants, or donations received for the purpose of the subchapter. It is assumed that any funds deposited to the account would be expended, and that the section would therefore be cost neutral. The amount of funds deposited to and expended from the account cannot be estimated at this time. The bill may require adjustments to information technology, but it is assumed that any cost could be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 301 Office of the Governor, 529 Health and Human Services Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, PP, MB
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