Texas 2023 - 88th 3rd C.S.

Texas House Bill HB57 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	By: Bucy H.B. No. 57
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to improvements to the Texas Information and Referral
7	7	Network.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 531.0312, Government Code, is amended by
10	10	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read
11	11	as follows:
12	12	(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network at the
13	13	commission is the program responsible for the development,
14	14	coordination, and implementation of a statewide information and
15	15	referral network that integrates existing community-based
16	16	structures with state and local agencies. The network must:
17	17	(1) include information relating to transportation
18	18	services provided to clients of state and local agencies;
19	19	(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster
20	20	response and emergency management, including through the use of
21	21	interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure
22	22	preparedness and responsiveness;
23	23	(3) include technology capable of communicating with
24	24	clients of state and local agencies using one-way and two-way
25	25	electronic text messaging to:
26	26	(A) enhance client access to information and
27	27	referral services;
28	28	(B) decrease client wait times;
29	29	(C) improve customer service; and
30	30	(D) disseminate information to clients in a
31	31	timely manner; [and]
32	32	(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based
33	33	system to provide real-time, searchable data about [the location
34	34	and number of] clients of state and local agencies using the system,
35	35	including:
36	36	(A) the number of clients;
37	37	(B) the location of clients;
38	38	(C) [and] the types of requests made by [the]
39	39	clients; and
40	40	(D) aggregated, de-identified demographic
41	41	information regarding the clients and client households served by
42	42	the network, including, if the information is volunteered by the
43	43	clients after the clients have been given an opportunity to provide
44	44	informed and explicit consent:
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 who provide informed
57	57	and explicit consent to be screened using the screening tool;
58	58	(6) provide enhanced navigation services under a level
59	59	of care three (LOC-3) as prescribed by the Department of State
60	60	Health Services' Texas Resilience and Recovery Utilization
61	61	Management Guidelines in order to:
62	62	(A) better address complex client needs; and
63	63	(B) collaborate with community partners;
64	64	(7) be capable of providing closed-loop referrals to
65	65	support clients and track referral outcomes;
66	66	(8) exchange resource data with external partners,
67	67	including vendors, through data sharing agreements for the purposes
68	68	of:
69	69	(A) connecting clients to a requested service;
70	70	(B) addressing nonmedical drivers of health; and
71	71	(C) decreasing redundancies in the health and
72	72	human services system;
73	73	(9) comply with all applicable state and federal laws
74	74	relating to protecting the privacy of each client's health and
75	75	personal information, including the Health Insurance Portability
76	76	and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.);
77	77	(10) be part of a national repository of information
78	78	and referral programs and services that provides the most updated
79	79	information about programs and services available at the local,
80	80	regional, state, and national levels; and
81	81	(11) be capable of providing backup information and
82	82	referrals during a statewide disaster or system malfunction.
83	83	(f) Health care systems and managed care organizations may
84	84	partner and enter into agreements with the commission and area
85	85	information centers to share data using the Texas Information and
86	86	Referral Network to:
87	87	(1) facilitate client care coordination; and
88	88	(2) address nonmedical drivers of health, including
89	89	housing, transportation, food, and financial assistance programs.
90	90	(g) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year,
91	91	the commission shall:
92	92	(1) prepare and submit a report to the governor, the
93	93	lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
94	94	representatives that:
95	95	(A) summarizes the Texas Information and
96	96	Referral Network's operations, including the effectiveness of the
97	97	network and any improvements made to the network, during the
98	98	preceding two state fiscal years;
99	99	(B) identifies existing needs and gaps in
100	100	services in communities in this state that could be addressed
101	101	through additional improvements to the network; and
102	102	(C) provides recommendations for improving the
103	103	network, including recommendations for improving data privacy and
104	104	client experience; and
105	105	(2) make the report publicly available on:
106	106	(A) the commission's Internet website; and
107	107	(B) the Texas Information and Referral Network
108	108	Internet site established under Section 531.0313.
109	109	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
110	110	amended by adding Section 531.03121 to read as follows:
111	111	Sec. 531.03121. AREA INFORMATION CENTERS: ACCREDITATION
112	112	REQUIRED. An area information center that contracts with the
113	113	commission to provide Texas Information and Referral Network
114	114	operations must be accredited by a nationally recognized
115	115	accreditation organization.
116	116	SECTION 3. Sections 531.0313(a) and (b), Government Code,
117	117	are amended to read as follows:
118	118	(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network may develop
119	119	an Internet site to provide information to the public regarding the
120	120	health and human services provided by public or private entities
121	121	throughout the state. An Internet site developed under this
122	122	section must be user-friendly and regularly updated to ensure the
123	123	Internet site's interface supports the navigation needs of the
124	124	site's users.
125	125	(b) The material in the Texas Information and Referral
126	126	Network Internet site must be:
127	127	(1) geographically indexed and designed to inform an
128	128	individual about the health and human services provided in the area
129	129	where the individual lives;[. The material must be]
130	130	(2) further indexed by type of service provided within
131	131	each geographic area; and
132	132	(3) organized in such a way that the public can search
133	133	and navigate through the Internet site with ease.
134	134	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
135	135	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
136	136	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
137	137	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
138	138	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
139	139	waiver or authorization is granted.
140	140	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
141	141	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
142	142	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
143	143	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
144	144	Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
145	145	legislative session.