BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2578

By: Price

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires that the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to plan and implement an efficient and effective centralized system of administrative support services for five health and human services agencies: HHSC, Department of Aging and Disability Services, Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, and Department of State Health Services. Current law also provides that the performance of administrative support services for the health and human services agencies is the responsibility of HHSC. The term "administrative support services" includes, but is not limited to, strategic planning and evaluation, audit, legal, human resources, information resources, purchasing, contract management, financial management, and accounting services. Aspects of this centralized system of administrative support services for the health and human services agencies have not been fully implemented by HHSC due in part to existing conflicts in law.

H.B. 2578 seeks to remove the conflicts in law relating to internal audit and information resource managers to ensure that implementation of a centralized system of administrative support services can be achieved by HHSC.  

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2578 amends the Government Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to operate the internal audit program required under the Texas Internal Auditing Act for HHSC and each health and human services agency as a consolidated internal audit program, notwithstanding provisions of that act requiring a state agency to conduct a program of internal auditing.  The bill specifies that a reference in the act to the administrator of a state agency means the executive commissioner of HHSC with respect to a health and human services agency.

H.B. 2578 also requires the information resources manager of a health and human services agency to report directly to the executive commissioner or a deputy executive commissioner designated by the executive commissioner, notwithstanding provisions of the Government Code requiring, in part, each state agency to provide that its information resources manager report directly to a person functionally equivalent to its executive director or deputy executive director.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.