BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3117
86R25272 EAS-F	By: Schaefer (Hughes)
	Health & Human Services
	5/10/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) develops a two-year long-term care plan to determine the need for beds at intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ICF-IID). It has been suggested that HHSC is not explicitly required to take into account the specific needs of a given community when determining the number of ICF-IID beds for a particular region, which can lead to a facility lacking licensed beds sufficient to meet demand, despite having the capacity. Such a facility may then be forced to place families on an interest list, which can lead to waiting for years before a bed becomes available.

H.B. 3117 seeks to address this issue by requiring as part of the proposed plan a review of the statewide ICF-IID bed capacity and the development of a process to reallocate beds held in suspension.

H.B. 3117 amends the Health and Safety Code to require HHSC, as part of its proposed plan on long-term care for persons with an intellectual disability, to review the statewide bed capacity of community ICF-IID facilities for individuals with an intellectual disability or a related condition and, based on the review, develop a process to reallocate beds held in suspension by HHSC. The process may include criteria by which ICF-IID program providers may apply to HHSC to receive reallocated beds and a means to reallocate the beds among health services regions. 

H.B. 3117 amends current law relating to developing the proposed plan on long-term care for persons with an intellectual disability.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 533A.062, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:

(b-1)  Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), as part of the proposed plan, to review the statewide bed capacity of community ICF-IID facilities for individuals with an intellectual disability or a related condition and, based on the review, develop a process to reallocate beds held in suspension by HHSC. Authorizes the process to include:

(1)  criteria by which ICF-IID program providers may apply to HHSC to receive reallocated beds; and

(2)  a means to reallocate the beds among health services regions.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.