BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 670

By: Birdwell

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties suggest that the heads of subsidiary agencies of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) should be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate in the same manner as is the executive commissioner of HHSC. S.B. 670 seeks to require that the commissioners of both the Department of State Health Services and the Department of Family and Protective Services be so appointed.

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

S.B. 670 repeals Government Code provisions relating to the appointment of agency directors for each health and human services agency by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission and instead amends the Health and Safety Code to require the governor to appoint a commissioner of the Department of State Health Services with the advice and consent of the senate and without regard to race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin and the Human Resources Code to require the governor to appoint a commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) with the advice and consent of the senate and without regard to race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin. The bill requires the governor to make those appointments as soon as possible after the bill's effective date and establishes that a person serving as commissioner of state health services or as DFPS commissioner on the bill's effective date continues to serve in that capacity until the governor makes those appointments.

S.B. 670 amends the Government Code to make a conforming change.

S.B. 670 repeals the following provisions:

·         Section 531.0056, Government Code;

·         Section 1001.051(a-1), Health and Safety Code

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.