| 1 | 1 | | 84R4334 LED-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Sanford H.B. No. 2966 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to an interim study regarding the identification of health |
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| 8 | 8 | | and human services programs that can be privatized. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. INTERIM COMMITTEE; STUDY. (a) The joint interim |
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| 11 | 11 | | committee on the privatization of health and human services |
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| 12 | 12 | | programs is established to study and identify health and human |
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| 13 | 13 | | services programs that can be provided through a contract with a |
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| 14 | 14 | | private service provider. The committee shall report its findings |
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| 15 | 15 | | and recommend: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) five health and human services programs each with |
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| 17 | 17 | | an annual budget of $5 million or more that can be provided through |
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| 18 | 18 | | a contract with a private service provider; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) five health and human services programs each with |
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| 20 | 20 | | an annual budget of less than $5 million that can be provided |
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| 21 | 21 | | through a contract with a private service provider. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The joint interim committee may establish appropriate |
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| 23 | 23 | | criteria for the study to accomplish the study's purpose. The study |
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| 24 | 24 | | must include an examination of: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) a health and human services program's actual |
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| 26 | 26 | | annual cost of providing services under the program; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) the estimated cost of providing the same services |
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| 28 | 28 | | if transferred to a private service provider. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) The comptroller shall assist the joint interim |
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| 30 | 30 | | committee by performing an external audit of a health and human |
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| 31 | 31 | | services program at the committee's request. The comptroller shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | file a report of each audit with the joint interim committee. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) The joint interim committee shall be composed of six |
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| 34 | 34 | | senators appointed by the lieutenant governor and six members of |
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| 35 | 35 | | the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house |
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| 36 | 36 | | of representatives. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (e) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of |
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| 38 | 38 | | representatives shall each designate a co-chair from among the |
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| 39 | 39 | | joint interim committee members. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (f) The joint interim committee shall convene at the joint |
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| 41 | 41 | | call of the co-chairs. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (g) The joint interim committee has all other powers and |
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| 43 | 43 | | duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the |
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| 44 | 44 | | senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, |
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| 45 | 45 | | Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees |
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| 46 | 46 | | on administration. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (h) Not later than January 1, 2017, the joint interim |
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| 48 | 48 | | committee shall report the committee's findings and |
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| 49 | 49 | | recommendations to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 50 | 50 | | house of representatives, the governor, the executive commissioner |
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| 51 | 51 | | of the Health and Human Services Commission, and each house and |
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| 52 | 52 | | senate standing committee with primary jurisdiction over health and |
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| 53 | 53 | | human services. The joint interim committee shall include in its |
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| 54 | 54 | | recommendations specific health and human services programs that |
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| 55 | 55 | | can be provided through a contract with a private service provider. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (i) From the contingent expense fund of the senate and the |
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| 57 | 57 | | contingent expense fund of the house of representatives equally, |
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| 58 | 58 | | the members of the joint interim committee shall be reimbursed for |
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| 59 | 59 | | expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this Act in |
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| 60 | 60 | | accordance with the senate and house of representatives rules of |
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| 61 | 61 | | procedure and the policies of the committees on administration. |
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| 62 | 62 | | Other necessary expenses of operation shall be paid from the |
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| 63 | 63 | | contingent expense fund of the senate and the contingent expense |
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| 64 | 64 | | fund of the house of representatives equally. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim |
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| 66 | 66 | | committee on the privatization of health and human services |
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| 67 | 67 | | programs is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2017. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 69 | 69 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 70 | 70 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 71 | 71 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 72 | 72 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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