Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB555 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R1548 SCF-D
2	2	By: Bucy H.B. No. 555
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to improvements to the Texas Information and Referral
10	10	Network.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 526.0004, Government Code, as effective
13	13	April 1, 2025, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding
14	14	Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:
15	15	(a) The Texas Information and Referral Network is
16	16	responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing a
17	17	statewide information and referral network that integrates
18	18	existing community-based structures with state and local agencies.
19	19	The network must:
20	20	(1) include information relating to transportation
21	21	services provided to clients of state and local agencies;
22	22	(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster
23	23	response and emergency management, including through the use of
24	24	interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure
25	25	preparedness and responsiveness;
26	26	(3) include technology capable of communicating with
27	27	clients of state and local agencies using one-way and two-way
28	28	electronic text messaging to:
29	29	(A) enhance client access to information and
30	30	referral services;
31	31	(B) decrease client wait times;
32	32	(C) improve customer service; and
33	33	(D) disseminate information to clients in a
34	34	timely manner; [and]
35	35	(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based
36	36	system to provide real-time, searchable data about [the location
37	37	and number of] clients of state and local agencies using the system,
38	38	including:
39	39	(A) the number of clients;
40	40	(B) the location of clients;
41	41	(C) [and] the types of requests the clients made;
42	42	and
43	43	(D) aggregated, de-identified demographic
44	44	information regarding the clients and client households served by
45	45	the network, including, if the information is volunteered by the
46	46	clients after the clients have been given an opportunity to provide
47	47	informed and explicit consent:
48	48	(i) the gender, race, and ethnicity of each
49	49	client; and
50	50	(ii) whether the client or a member of the
51	51	client's household is:
52	52	(a) a veteran;
53	53	(b) involved in the criminal justice
54	54	system;
55	55	(c) pregnant; or
56	56	(d) the caregiver to a child who is
57	57	five years of age or younger or a kinship caregiver;
58	58	(5) use a standardized screening tool to identify the
59	59	nonmedical drivers of health for all clients who provide informed
60	60	and explicit consent to be screened using the screening tool;
61	61	(6) provide enhanced navigation services under a level
62	62	of care three (LOC-3) as prescribed by the Department of State
63	63	Health Services' Texas Resilience and Recovery Utilization
64	64	Management Guidelines in order to:
65	65	(A) better address complex client needs; and
66	66	(B) collaborate with community partners;
67	67	(7) be capable of providing closed-loop referrals to
68	68	support clients and track referral outcomes;
69	69	(8) exchange resource data with external partners,
70	70	including vendors, through data sharing agreements for the purposes
71	71	of:
72	72	(A) connecting clients to a requested service;
73	73	(B) addressing nonmedical drivers of health; and
74	74	(C) decreasing redundancies in the health and
75	75	human services system;
76	76	(9) comply with all applicable state and federal laws
77	77	relating to protecting the privacy of each client's health and
78	78	personal information, including the Health Insurance Portability
79	79	and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.);
80	80	(10) be part of a national repository of information
81	81	and referral programs and services that provides the most updated
82	82	information about programs and services available at the local,
83	83	regional, state, and national levels; and
84	84	(11) be capable of providing backup information and
85	85	referrals during a statewide disaster or system malfunction.
86	86	(f) Health care systems and managed care organizations may
87	87	partner and enter into agreements with the commission and area
88	88	information centers to share data using the network to:
89	89	(1) facilitate client care coordination; and
90	90	(2) address nonmedical drivers of health, including
91	91	housing, transportation, food, and financial assistance programs.
92	92	(g) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year,
93	93	the commission shall:
94	94	(1) prepare and submit a report to the governor, the
95	95	lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
96	96	representatives that:
97	97	(A) summarizes the network's operations,
98	98	including the effectiveness of the network and any improvements
99	99	made to the network, during the preceding two state fiscal years;
100	100	(B) identifies existing needs and gaps in
101	101	services in communities in this state that could be addressed
102	102	through additional improvements to the network; and
103	103	(C) provides recommendations for improving the
104	104	network, including recommendations for improving data privacy and
105	105	client experience; and
106	106	(2) make the report publicly available on:
107	107	(A) the commission's Internet website; and
108	108	(B) the network Internet website established
109	109	under Section 526.0005.
110	110	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 526, Government Code, as
111	111	effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 526.00041 to
112	112	read as follows:
113	113	Sec. 526.00041. AREA INFORMATION CENTERS: ACCREDITATION
114	114	REQUIRED. An area information center that contracts with the
115	115	commission to provide network operations must be accredited by a
116	116	nationally recognized accreditation organization.
117	117	SECTION 3. Sections 526.0005(a) and (b), Government Code,
118	118	as effective April 1, 2025, are amended to read as follows:
119	119	(a) The network may develop an Internet website to provide
120	120	information to the public regarding the health and human services
121	121	provided by public or private entities throughout this state. An
122	122	Internet website developed under this section must be user-friendly
123	123	and regularly updated to ensure that the website's interface
124	124	supports the navigation needs of the website's users.
125	125	(b) The material on the network Internet website must be:
126	126	(1) geographically indexed, including by type of
127	127	service provided within each geographic area; [and]
128	128	(2) designed to inform an individual about the health
129	129	and human services provided in the area in which the individual
130	130	lives; and
131	131	(3) organized in such a way that the public can search
132	132	and navigate through the website with ease.
133	133	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
134	134	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
135	135	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
136	136	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
137	137	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
138	138	waiver or authorization is granted.
139	139	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.