BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3232

By: Davis, John

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The service conversion opportunity grant program maximizes the use of federal and state funding to employ disabled people with significant support needs in typical community jobs. The grant program provides transition funds for staff training and maximizes the use of available vocational rehabilitation and social security funding strategies to change service delivery from sheltered workshops and day habilitation programs to individualized, competitive employment services.  The grant program is made available to a provider who creates a plan to convert a sheltered workshop or day habilitation program to such integrated services.

H.B. 3232 requires the Department of Aging and Disability Services, to the extent funds are available and in cooperation with the Health and Human Services Commission, to establish the service conversion opportunity grant program. The bill outlines eligibility requirements for an applicant to receive funds and prescribe guidelines for the use of funds.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3232 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Department of Aging and Disability Services, to the extent funds are available and in cooperation with the Health and Human Services Commission, to establish a grant program to assist sheltered employment services providers in restructuring the manner in which the providers use financial and staff resources in order to provide employment services to persons with disabilities in a more integrated, community-based setting and to maximize any funding sources available for that purpose.

H.B. 3232 requires a sheltered employment services provider, in order to be eligible to receive grant program funds, to apply to the department on a form prescribed by the department and meet eligibility requirements established by the department.  The bill requires an application for a grant to contain a plan for the applicant's proposed use of grant funds, including a description of how the provider will use the funds to become a provider of more integrated, community-based employment services.

H.B. 3232 requires the department to consider, in determining whether to award a grant, the anticipated benefits from awarding the grant, including the potential to create additional integrated, community-based employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, the applicant's qualifications, and the feasibility and financial soundness of the applicant's plan.  The bill authorizes a grant recipient to use grant funds only to pay for activities directly related to the purpose of the grant program and prohibits a grant recipient from using grant money for fees or advertising.

H.B. 3232 requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules necessary to implement the grant program.

H.B. 3232 defines "grant program" and "sheltered employment services provider."

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.