By: Schwertner S.B. No. 2214
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to state fiscal matters related to health and human
services and state agencies administering health and human services
programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.01. This article applies to any state agency that
receives an appropriation under Article II of the General
Appropriations Act and to any program administered by any of those
agencies.
SECTION 1.02. Notwithstanding any other statute of this
state, each state agency to which this article applies is
authorized to reduce or recover expenditures by:
(1) consolidating any reports or publications the
agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those
reports or publications exclusively by electronic means;
(2) extending the effective period of any license,
permit, or registration the agency grants or administers;
(3) entering into a contract with another governmental
entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's
duties;
(4) adopting additional eligibility requirements
consistent with federal law for persons who receive benefits under
any law the agency administers to ensure that those benefits are
received by the most deserving persons consistent with the purposes
for which the benefits are provided, including under the following
laws:
(A) Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code (child
health plan program);
(B) Chapter 31, Human Resources Code (temporary
assistance for needy families program);
(C) Chapter 32, Human Resources Code (Medicaid
program);
(D) Chapter 33, Human Resources Code
(supplemental nutrition assistance and other nutritional
assistance programs); and
(E) Chapter 533, Government Code (Medicaid
managed care);
(5) providing that any communication between the
agency and another person and any document required to be delivered
to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing
statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by
e-mail or through the Internet;
(6) adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover
any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions; and
(7) modifying and streamlining processes used in:
(A) the conduct of eligibility determinations
for programs listed in Subdivision (4) of this subsection by or
under the direction of the Health and Human Services Commission;
(B) the provision of child and adult protective
services by the Department of Family and Protective Services;
(C) the provision of services for the aging and
disabled by the Health and Human Services Commission;
(D) the provision of services to children and
other persons with disabilities by the Health and Human Services
Commission; and
(E) the provision or administration of other
services provided or programs operated by the Health and Human
Services Commission or a health and human services agency, as
defined by Section 531.001, Government Code.
ARTICLE 2. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES EMPLOYEES
SECTION 2.01. An health and human services employee is not
entitled to an amount from the state for expenses, per diem, travel,
or salary that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by
the General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 2.02. An health and human services employee is not
entitled to an amount from the state for a salary, a salary
supplement, office expenses or reimbursement of office expenses, or
travel that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the
General Appropriations Act.
ARTICLE 3. REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES AND IMPOSITION OF CHARGES AND
COST-SAVING MEASURES SPECIFICALLY
Sec. 265.0042. COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the Health and
Human Services Commission, on behalf of the department, shall enter
into agreements with institutions of higher education to conduct
efficacy reviews of any prevention and early intervention programs
that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness through a
scientific research evaluation process.
(b) Subject to the availability of funds, the department
shall collaborate with an institution of higher education to create
and track indicators of child well-being to determine the
effectiveness of prevention and early intervention services.
SECTION 3.03. If before implementing any provision of this
article a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization
from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that
provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the
waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision
until the waiver or authorization is granted.
Article 4. PILOT PROGRAM PROPOSALS AND RULES
SECTION 4.01. The commissioner of each state agency to
which this article applies may propose to the appropriate
legislative committee pilot programs that could be tested to
determine if the programs might produce long term fiscal benefits
to the state. The commissioner may propose rules necessary to
implement the pilot programs.
Article 5. EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 5.01. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.