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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state fiscal matters related to health and human |
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services and state agencies administering health and human services |
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programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1.01. This article applies to any state agency that |
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receives an appropriation under Article II of the General |
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Appropriations Act and to any program administered by any of those |
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agencies. |
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SECTION 1.02. Notwithstanding any other statute of this |
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state, each state agency to which this article applies is |
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authorized to reduce or recover expenditures by: |
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(1) consolidating any reports or publications the |
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agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those |
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reports or publications exclusively by electronic means; |
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(2) extending the effective period of any license, |
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permit, or registration the agency grants or administers; |
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(3) entering into a contract with another governmental |
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entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's |
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duties; |
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(4) adopting additional eligibility requirements |
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consistent with federal law for persons who receive benefits under |
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any law the agency administers to ensure that those benefits are |
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received by the most deserving persons consistent with the purposes |
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for which the benefits are provided, including under the following |
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laws: |
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(A) Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code (child |
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health plan program); |
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(B) Chapter 31, Human Resources Code (temporary |
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assistance for needy families program); |
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(C) Chapter 32, Human Resources Code (Medicaid |
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program); |
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(D) Chapter 33, Human Resources Code |
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(supplemental nutrition assistance and other nutritional |
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assistance programs); and |
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(E) Chapter 533, Government Code (Medicaid |
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managed care); |
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(5) providing that any communication between the |
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agency and another person and any document required to be delivered |
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to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing |
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statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by |
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e-mail or through the Internet; |
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(6) adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover |
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any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions; and |
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(7) modifying and streamlining processes used in: |
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(A) the conduct of eligibility determinations |
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for programs listed in Subdivision (4) of this subsection by or |
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under the direction of the Health and Human Services Commission; |
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(B) the provision of child and adult protective |
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services by the Department of Family and Protective Services; |
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(C) the provision of services for the aging and |
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disabled by the Health and Human Services Commission; |
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(D) the provision of services to children and |
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other persons with disabilities by the Health and Human Services |
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Commission; and |
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(E) the provision or administration of other |
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services provided or programs operated by the Health and Human |
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Services Commission or a health and human services agency, as |
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defined by Section 531.001, Government Code. |
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ARTICLE 2. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES EMPLOYEES |
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SECTION 2.01. An health and human services employee is not |
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entitled to an amount from the state for expenses, per diem, travel, |
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or salary that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by |
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the General Appropriations Act. |
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SECTION 2.02. An health and human services employee is not |
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entitled to an amount from the state for a salary, a salary |
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supplement, office expenses or reimbursement of office expenses, or |
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travel that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the |
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General Appropriations Act. |
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ARTICLE 3. REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES AND IMPOSITION OF CHARGES AND |
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COST-SAVING MEASURES SPECIFICALLY |
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Sec. 265.0042. COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER |
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EDUCATION. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the Health and |
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Human Services Commission, on behalf of the department, shall enter |
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into agreements with institutions of higher education to conduct |
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efficacy reviews of any prevention and early intervention programs |
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that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness through a |
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scientific research evaluation process. |
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(b) Subject to the availability of funds, the department |
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shall collaborate with an institution of higher education to create |
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and track indicators of child well-being to determine the |
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effectiveness of prevention and early intervention services. |
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SECTION 3.03. If before implementing any provision of this |
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article a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization |
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from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that |
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provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the |
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waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision |
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until the waiver or authorization is granted. |
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Article 4. PILOT PROGRAM PROPOSALS AND RULES |
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SECTION 4.01. The commissioner of each state agency to |
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which this article applies may propose to the appropriate |
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legislative committee pilot programs that could be tested to |
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determine if the programs might produce long term fiscal benefits |
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to the state. The commissioner may propose rules necessary to |
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implement the pilot programs. |
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Article 5. EFFECTIVE DATE |
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SECTION 5.01. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |