Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2115 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	88R4431 SCP-D
2	2	By: Flores S.B. No. 2115
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to improvements to the Texas Information and Referral
8	8	Network.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 531.0312, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read
12	12	as follows:
13	13	(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network at the
14	14	commission is the program responsible for the development,
15	15	coordination, and implementation of a statewide information and
16	16	referral network that integrates existing community-based
17	17	structures with state and local agencies. The network must:
18	18	(1) include information relating to transportation
19	19	services provided to clients of state and local agencies;
20	20	(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster
21	21	response and emergency management, including through the use of
22	22	interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure
23	23	preparedness and responsiveness;
24	24	(3) include technology capable of communicating with
25	25	clients of state and local agencies using one-way and two-way
26	26	electronic text messaging to:
27	27	(A) enhance client access to information and
28	28	referral services;
29	29	(B) decrease client wait times;
30	30	(C) improve customer service; and
31	31	(D) disseminate information to clients in a
32	32	timely manner; [and]
33	33	(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based
34	34	system to provide real-time, searchable data about [the location
35	35	and number of] clients of state and local agencies using the system,
36	36	including:
37	37	(A) the number of clients;
38	38	(B) the location of clients;
39	39	(C) [and] the types of requests made by [the]
40	40	clients; and
41	41	(D) aggregated, de-identified demographic
42	42	information regarding the clients and client households served by
43	43	the network, including, if the information is volunteered by the
44	44	clients:
45	45	(i) the gender, race, and ethnicity of each
46	46	client; and
47	47	(ii) whether the client or a member of the
48	48	client's household is:
49	49	(a) a veteran;
50	50	(b) involved in the criminal justice
51	51	system;
52	52	(c) pregnant; or
53	53	(d) the caregiver to a child who is
54	54	five years of age or younger or a kinship caregiver;
55	55	(5) use a standardized screening tool to identify the
56	56	nonmedical drivers of health for all clients;
57	57	(6) provide enhanced navigation services under a level
58	58	of care three (LOC-3) as prescribed by the Department of State
59	59	Health Services' Texas Resilience and Recovery Utilization
60	60	Management Guidelines in order to:
61	61	(A) better address complex client needs; and
62	62	(B) collaborate with community partners;
63	63	(7) be capable of providing closed-loop referrals to
64	64	support clients and track referral outcomes;
65	65	(8) exchange resource data with external partners,
66	66	including vendors, through data sharing agreements;
67	67	(9) be part of a national repository of information
68	68	and referral programs and services that provides the most updated
69	69	information about programs and services available at the local,
70	70	regional, state, and national levels; and
71	71	(10) be capable of providing backup information and
72	72	referrals during a statewide disaster or system malfunction.
73	73	(f) Health care systems and managed care organizations may
74	74	partner and enter into agreements with the commission and area
75	75	information centers to share data using the Texas Information and
76	76	Referral Network to:
77	77	(1) facilitate client care coordination; and
78	78	(2) address nonmedical drivers of health, including
79	79	housing, transportation, food, and financial assistance programs.
80	80	(g) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year,
81	81	the commission shall:
82	82	(1) prepare and submit a report to the governor, the
83	83	lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
84	84	representatives that:
85	85	(A) summarizes the Texas Information and
86	86	Referral Network's operations, including the effectiveness of the
87	87	network and any improvements made to the network, during the
88	88	preceding two state fiscal years;
89	89	(B) identifies existing needs and gaps in
90	90	services in communities in this state that could be addressed
91	91	through additional improvements to the network; and
92	92	(C) provides recommendations for improving the
93	93	network; and
94	94	(2) make the report publicly available on:
95	95	(A) the commission's Internet website; and
96	96	(B) the Texas Information and Referral Network
97	97	Internet site established under Section 531.0313.
98	98	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
99	99	amended by adding Section 531.03121 to read as follows:
100	100	Sec. 531.03121. AREA INFORMATION CENTERS: ACCREDITATION
101	101	REQUIRED. An area information center that contracts with the
102	102	commission to provide Texas Information and Referral Network
103	103	operations must be accredited by a nationally recognized
104	104	accreditation organization.
105	105	SECTION 3. Sections 531.0313(a) and (b), Government Code,
106	106	are amended to read as follows:
107	107	(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network may develop
108	108	an Internet site to provide information to the public regarding the
109	109	health and human services provided by public or private entities
110	110	throughout the state. An Internet site developed under this
111	111	section must be user-friendly and regularly updated to ensure the
112	112	Internet site's interface supports the navigation needs of the
113	113	site's users.
114	114	(b) The material in the Texas Information and Referral
115	115	Network Internet site must be:
116	116	(1) geographically indexed and designed to inform an
117	117	individual about the health and human services provided in the area
118	118	where the individual lives; [. The material must be]
119	119	(2) further indexed by type of service provided within
120	120	each geographic area; and
121	121	(3) organized in such a way that the public can search
122	122	and navigate through the Internet site with ease.
123	123	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
124	124	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
125	125	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
126	126	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
127	127	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
128	128	waiver or authorization is granted.
129	129	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.