| TO: | Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor, Senate |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB501 by West (Relating to the disproportionality of certain groups in the juvenile justice, child welfare, health, and mental health systems and the disproportionality of the delivery of certain services in the education system. ), As Passed 2nd House |
The bill would add Chapter 2 to the Human Resources Code and would establish the Interagency
Council for Addressing Disproportionality. The Council would examine the disproportionate
involvement of children who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group at each stage in the
juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health systems, examine disproportionate delivery of various education services, and assist the Health and Human Services Commission in eliminating health and health access disparities.
The Council would be composed of appointed representatives from the various state agencies and representatives from community-based interested parties, including former foster care youth, representatives from the medical community, and representatives from community- and faith-based organizations.
The bill would establish required duties for the council, including a review and report of the delivery of various services and best practices and an investigation and report on health disparities. The bill would require the Council to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Legislature by December 1, 2012. The chapter would expire December 1, 2013.
The bill would authorize the reimbursement of council members for travel expenses.
The bill would repeal Chapter 107, Health and Safety Code, which established the Health Disparities Task Force.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to
each house. If not, the bill would take effect September 1, 2011.
Based on the analysis of agencies who would be required to appoint a representative to the council and support its tasks, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources. HHSC anticipates it could reallocate resources currently assigned to the Health Disparities Task Force to address the requirements of the bill to support the Interagency Council for Addressing Disproportionality.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 538 Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Department of, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of, 665 Juvenile Probation Commission, 694 Youth Commission, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, ES, CL, MB, VJC
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