H.B. No. 1965
AN ACT
relating to the expansion of faith- and community-based health and
human services initiatives.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 535.051, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
follows:
(b) The chief administrative officer of each of the
following state agencies, in consultation with the governor, shall
designate one employee from the agency to serve as a liaison for
faith- and community-based organizations:
(1) the Texas Department [Office] of Rural [Community]
Affairs;
(2) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
(3) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
(4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs;
(5) the Texas Education Agency;
(6) the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission;
(7) the Texas Veterans Commission;
(8) the Texas Workforce Commission;
(9) the Texas Youth Commission;
(10) the office of the governor;
(11) the Department of Public Safety;
(12) the Texas Department of Insurance;
(13) the Public Utility Commission of Texas;
(14) the office of the attorney general;
(15) the Department of Agriculture;
(16) the office of the comptroller;
(17) the Department of Information Resources;
(18) the Office of State-Federal Relations;
(19) the office of the secretary of state; and
(20) [(10)] other state agencies as determined by the
governor.
(c) The commissioner of higher education, in consultation
with the presiding officer of the interagency coordinating group,
shall designate one employee from an institution of higher
education, as that term is defined under Section 61.003, Education
Code, to serve as a liaison for faith- and community-based
organizations.
SECTION 2. Sections 535.053(a) and (b), Government Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) The interagency coordinating group for faith- and
community-based initiatives is composed of each faith- and
community-based liaison designated under Section 535.051 and a
liaison from the State Commission on National and Community
Service. The commission shall provide administrative support to
the interagency coordinating group.
(b) The liaison from the State Commission on National and
Community Service [commission employee designated as a liaison
under Section 535.051] is the presiding officer of the interagency
coordinating group. If the State Commission on National and
Community Service is abolished, the liaison from the governor's
office is the presiding officer of the interagency coordinating
group.
SECTION 3. Section 535.054, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 535.054. REPORT [REPORTS]. (a) Not later than
December 1 of each year, the interagency coordinating group shall
submit a report to the legislature that describes in detail the
activities, goals, and progress of the interagency coordinating
group. [A liaison designated under Section 535.051 shall:
[(1) provide periodic reports to the executive
commissioner or other chief executive officer who designated the
liaison, as applicable, on a schedule determined by the person who
designated the liaison; and
[(2) report annually to the governor's office of
faith- and community-based initiatives and as necessary to the
State Commission on National and Community Service regarding the
liaison's efforts to comply with the duties imposed under Sections
535.052 and 535.053.]
(b) The [Each] report made under Subsection (a) [(a)(2)]
must be made available to the public through posting on the office
of the governor's Internet website[, and the reports may be
aggregated into a single report for that purpose].
SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 535, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 535.055 to read as follows:
Sec. 535.055. TASK FORCE ON IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH
NONPROFITS. (a) The interagency coordinating group task force is
established to help direct the interagency coordinating group in
carrying out the group's duties under this section. The commission
shall provide administrative support to the task force.
(b) The executive commissioner, in consultation with the
presiding officer of the interagency coordinating group, shall
appoint as members of the task force one representative from each of
the following groups and entities:
(1) a statewide nonprofit organization;
(2) local governments;
(3) faith-based groups;
(4) community-based groups;
(5) consultants to nonprofit corporations;
(6) experts in grant writing; and
(7) a statewide association of nonprofit
organizations.
(c) In addition to the interagency coordinating group's
other duties, the interagency coordinating group, in coordination
with the task force, shall:
(1) develop and implement a plan for improving
contracting relationships between state agencies and faith- and
community-based organizations;
(2) develop best practices for cooperating and
collaborating with faith- and community-based organizations;
(3) identify and address duplication of services
provided by the state and faith- and community-based organizations;
and
(4) identify and address gaps in state services that
faith- and community-based organizations could fill.
(d) The task force shall prepare a report describing actions
taken or not taken by the interagency coordinating group under this
section and include in the report any recommendations relating to
legislation necessary to address an issue identified by the group
under this section. The task force shall present the report to the
House Committee on Human Services or its successor, the House
Committee on Public Health or its successor, and the Senate Health
and Human Services Committee or its successor not later than
September 1, 2012.
(e) This section expires September 1, 2013.
SECTION 5. Not later than October 1, 2011, the executive
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
appoint members to the interagency coordinating group task force in
accordance with Section 535.055, Government Code, as added by this
Act.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1965 was passed by the House on April
19, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1965 was passed by the Senate on May
19, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0
.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor