BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

S.B. 822

86R8429 GCB-D

By: Nelson

 

Veteran Affairs & Border Security

 

3/25/2019

 

As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The 84th Legislature created the Texas Veterans + Family Alliance (TV+FA) grant program. TV+FA supports community mental health programs providing mental health services and treatment for Texas veterans and their families.

 

S.B. 822 updates the TV+FA program by repealing the requirement that the Health and Human Services Commission use a nonprofit or private entity to administer TV + FA and aligns TV+FA with similar community grant programs.

 

As proposed, S.B. 822 amends current law relating to the administration of a grant program to support community mental health programs for veterans and their families.

 

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 531.0992, Government Code, by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsections (d-1) and (d-2), as follows:

 

(c) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to ensure that each grant recipient obtains or secures contributions to match awarded grants in amounts of money or other contributions as required by Subsection (d-1) or (d-2), rather than requiring the private entity that supports and administers the grant program to obtain or secure contributions to the grant program in an amount of money or other consideration at least equal in value to the amount of money awarded to grant recipients by HHSC under the grant program. Authorizes the money or other consideration obtained or secured by HHSC, rather than by the private entity, to, as determined by the executive commissioner of HHSC (executive commissioner), include cash or in-kind contributions from private contributors or local governments but not from including state or federal funds.

 

(d) Deletes text requiring money or other consideration obtained or secured by the private entity to be disbursed or provided directly to grant recipients by the private entity, private contributors, or local governments, as authorized by the executive commissioner.

 

(d-1) Requires HHSC, for services and treatment provided in a single county, to condition each grant provided under this section on a potential grant recipient providing funds from non-state sources in a total amount at least equal to 50 percent of the grant amount if the community mental health program to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment in a county with a population of less than 250,000 or 100 percent of the grant amount if the community mental health program to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment in a county with a population of 250,000 or more.

 

(d-2) Requires HHSC, for a community mental health program that provides services and treatment in more than one county, to condition each grant provided under this section on a potential recipient providing funds from non-state sources in a total amount of at least equal to 50 percent of the grant amount if the largest county in which the community mental health program to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a population of less than 250,000 or 100 percent of the grant amount if the largest county in which the community mental health program to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a population of 250,000 or more.

 

SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 531.0992(b) (relating to requiring HHSC to enter into an agreement with a qualified non-profit or private entity to serve as the administrator of the grant program), Government Code; and

 

Repealer: 531.0992(g) (relating to requiring the executive commissioner to use a noncompetitive procurement procedure to select a qualified nonprofit or private entity to administer a pilot program of the grant program), Government Code.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.