Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2397 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15741 EAS-F
2	2	By: Perry S.B. No. 2397
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the task force on disability
10	10	policy.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
13	13	by adding Chapter 550A to read as follows:
14	14	CHAPTER 550A. TASK FORCE ON DISABILITY POLICY
15	15	Sec. 550A.0001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "task force"
16	16	means the task force on disability policy established under Section
17	17	550A.0002.
18	18	Sec. 550A.0002. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The task force on
19	19	disability policy is established to:
20	20	(1) develop a comprehensive 10-year plan for this
21	21	state's disability policy; and
22	22	(2) provide strategic recommendations for state
23	23	policies to emphasize innovation, efficiency, and dignity for
24	24	individuals with a disability who reside in this state.
25	25	Sec. 550A.0003. COMPOSITION. (a) The task force is
26	26	composed of:
27	27	(1) at least 17 voting members appointed by the
28	28	governor as follows:
29	29	(A) two members of the senate;
30	30	(B) two members of the house of representatives;
31	31	(C) at least two members who are or are related to
32	32	someone who has a lived experience with:
33	33	(i) medical fragility or chronic complex
34	34	medical needs;
35	35	(ii) autism;
36	36	(iii) mental health issues;
37	37	(iv) intellectual and developmental
38	38	disabilities;
39	39	(v) transitional care services; or
40	40	(vi) physical disabilities;
41	41	(D) four members who are health care
42	42	professionals;
43	43	(E) two members who represent relevant advocacy
44	44	organizations;
45	45	(F) two members who represent institutions of
46	46	higher education in this state; and
47	47	(G) three members who are policy experts
48	48	specializing in health care, Medicaid services, special education,
49	49	mental health care, or disability services;
50	50	(2) at least one nonvoting member appointed by the
51	51	governor who is a representative of a local mental health authority
52	52	or a local intellectual and developmental disability authority, as
53	53	those terms are defined by Section 531.002, Health and Safety Code;
54	54	and
55	55	(3) additional nonvoting members as the task force
56	56	considers necessary who represent:
57	57	(A) relevant state agencies, appointed by the
58	58	executive head of each agency; and
59	59	(B) other interested persons or subject matter
60	60	experts.
61	61	(b) The governor shall consult with the lieutenant governor
62	62	and the speaker of the house of representatives in appointing task
63	63	force members to ensure bipartisan representation, engagement of
64	64	residents of this state, and diverse expertise on the task force.
65	65	Sec. 550A.0004. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall
66	66	designate a member of the task force to serve as presiding officer
67	67	of the task force.
68	68	Sec. 550A.0005. VACANCY. A vacancy on the task force shall
69	69	be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
70	70	Sec. 550A.0006. MEETINGS. (a) The task force shall meet at
71	71	least once each quarter at the call of the presiding officer.
72	72	(b) The task force shall provide opportunities for members
73	73	of the public to participate in at least three meetings held at a
74	74	variety of locations in this state each calendar year.
75	75	Sec. 550A.0007. SUBCOMMITTEES ON SPECIFIC ISSUES; REPORTS.
76	76	(a) The task force shall establish subcommittees to address
77	77	specific issues impacting individuals with a disability,
78	78	including:
79	79	(1) health care;
80	80	(2) education;
81	81	(3) early childhood care;
82	82	(4) transitional care;
83	83	(5) crisis prevention and intervention;
84	84	(6) juvenile justice;
85	85	(7) mental health care;
86	86	(8) long-term community-based services and supports;
87	87	and
88	88	(9) alternative funding sources and service delivery
89	89	models for the issues described by Subdivisions (1)-(8).
90	90	(b) Each subcommittee must include:
91	91	(1) at least two task force members to serve as chair
92	92	and vice-chair of the subcommittee; and
93	93	(2) subject matter experts in fields relevant to the
94	94	subcommittee to provide specialized knowledge and guidance.
95	95	(c) Consistent with its purpose, each subcommittee shall:
96	96	(1) consult with relevant subject matter experts,
97	97	advocacy organizations, state agency personnel, and parents or
98	98	consumers who have used relevant services;
99	99	(2) report the subcommittee's determinations and
100	100	recommendations at a task force meeting at least once each year; and
101	101	(3) biennially provide a written report with
102	102	recommendations for integration into the task force report required
103	103	under Section 550A.0010 not later than the 60th day before the date
104	104	the report is scheduled for release.
105	105	Sec. 550A.0008. TASK FORCE PLAN. (a) The task force shall
106	106	develop a plan for this state to address for each issue described in
107	107	Section 550A.0007:
108	108	(1) this state's policies, services, programs, and
109	109	funding mechanisms;
110	110	(2) redundancies in, allocations of, and uses of state
111	111	resources;
112	112	(3) best practices in, trends of, and minimum
113	113	standards of care;
114	114	(4) service delivery disparities, service provision
115	115	entry points, and service provision obstacles;
116	116	(5) recommendations for policy integration among
117	117	state agencies and innovative solutions to improve care and foster
118	118	independence for residents who are provided care; and
119	119	(6) development of cost-effective, family-focused
120	120	state policies that prioritize dignity, autonomy, and unified
121	121	families and improve the care, quality, and efficiency of the
122	122	provided care and services.
123	123	(b) In developing the plan under Subsection (a), the task
124	124	force shall evaluate:
125	125	(1) outdated, redundant, ineffective, and fragmented
126	126	state agency policies;
127	127	(2) current and future state agency policies regarding
128	128	service provision and the planning and funding necessary to
129	129	implement those policies;
130	130	(3) incentives for family-focused, quality outcome
131	131	measures for provision of care and services;
132	132	(4) long-term or alternative funding sources and
133	133	sustainable care models;
134	134	(5) long-term cost-effectiveness and a cost-benefit
135	135	analysis of appropriate access to home and community-based services
136	136	and other critical programs and services to unite families and
137	137	provide care and services to individuals with a disability in the
138	138	individuals' communities; and
139	139	(6) possible alternative service delivery options.
140	140	(c) In developing the plan under Subsection (a), the task
141	141	force shall:
142	142	(1) identify the individual or state agency
143	143	responsible for implementing each task specified in the plan and
144	144	set a time for implementing each recommendation;
145	145	(2) establish benchmarks to measure the progress
146	146	toward goals and objectives specified in the plan;
147	147	(3) consult with the Legislative Budget Board to
148	148	coordinate relevant cost studies and account for long-term savings
149	149	of short-term investments for the issues specified in the plan;
150	150	(4) consult with personnel from other states to
151	151	identify best practices related to the specified issues;
152	152	(5) consult with the state demographer and relevant
153	153	federal agencies to account for future demographic trends in
154	154	addressing the specified issues;
155	155	(6) coordinate with federal and state agencies to
156	156	compile a list of opportunities to increase flexible funding for
157	157	services provided to individuals with a disability, including
158	158	alternative funding sources and service delivery options;
159	159	(7) consult with pediatric specialists and other
160	160	health care professionals to determine best medical practices for
161	161	care provided to individuals with a disability;
162	162	(8) coordinate with mental health, education, and
163	163	disability advocates;
164	164	(9) consider comments of interested persons,
165	165	including testimony from parents in each health and human services
166	166	region;
167	167	(10) consider current barriers that prevent this state
168	168	from accomplishing each recommendation described by Section
169	169	550A.0010;
170	170	(11) consider additional resource needs;
171	171	(12) consider resource redirection for more efficient
172	172	and effective service provision;
173	173	(13) propose recommendations for legislative or other
174	174	action; and
175	175	(14) compose feasibility statements on related
176	176	recommendations.
177	177	Sec. 550A.0009. COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTION OF HIGHER
178	178	EDUCATION. To assist with developing the plan under Section
179	179	550A.0008 and to leverage data-focused approaches and research in
180	180	informing task force recommendations, the task force shall
181	181	collaborate with:
182	182	(1) at least one institution of higher education in
183	183	this state engaged in research relevant to the task force's duties
184	184	described by Section 550A.0008; and
185	185	(2) health-related institutions of higher education
186	186	in this state.
187	187	Sec. 550A.0010. RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS. (a) The plan
188	188	created under Section 550A.0008 must provide recommendations for
189	189	the provision of disability services to:
190	190	(1) maximize the use of federal funds available to
191	191	this state for the duties described by Section 550A.0008;
192	192	(2) reduce the number of families who experience
193	193	crisis due to insufficient and ineffective interventions or
194	194	services or lack of coordination and planning of interventions or
195	195	services;
196	196	(3) improve families' ability to navigate this state's
197	197	system of services through improved coordination between service
198	198	providers and increased outreach;
199	199	(4) remove barriers to local coordination of services
200	200	and supports;
201	201	(5) improve outcomes and family supports;
202	202	(6) improve early detection and intervention
203	203	services;
204	204	(7) increase the number of community-based options for
205	205	individuals with disabilities;
206	206	(8) improve accountability for each state agency
207	207	represented on the task force and other service providers;
208	208	(9) reduce existing fragmentation of service delivery
209	209	to reflect best practices and eliminate ineffective interventions;
210	210	(10) evaluate the feasibility of a third-party care
211	211	coordinator for a legally authorized representative program to
212	212	provide support services for individuals with disabilities;
213	213	(11) reduce service disparities and redundancies;
214	214	(12) improve data management;
215	215	(13) prevent unnecessary parental relinquishment of
216	216	custody;
217	217	(14) create a core set of quality measures to
218	218	determine quality of care and improvements to quality of life; and
219	219	(15) improve availability of superior community-based
220	220	acute and long-term care services and supports.
221	221	(b) Not later than September 1, 2026, the task force shall
222	222	submit a preliminary report to the governor, lieutenant governor,
223	223	speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate standing
224	224	committees of each house of the legislature. The preliminary
225	225	report must outline initial determinations, recommendations, and
226	226	priority areas for action and provide a plan for future
227	227	legislation, policy changes, and implementation. The preliminary
228	228	report must be published on the Internet website of each state
229	229	agency represented on the task force.
230	230	(c) Not later than September 1, 2028, the task force shall
231	231	submit a final report, including a comprehensive disability policy
232	232	plan and strategic recommendations to the governor, lieutenant
233	233	governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate
234	234	standing committees of each house of the legislature. The final
235	235	report must include:
236	236	(1) a review and analysis of current state agency
237	237	programs, policies, procedures, and resource allocations related
238	238	to the issues studied by the task force;
239	239	(2) identification of service delivery disparities,
240	240	entry points to the state's system for service provision, and
241	241	service obstacles;
242	242	(3) recommendations for innovative, cost-effective
243	243	state policies and priority action areas;
244	244	(4) strategies to incentivize family-focused quality
245	245	outcomes;
246	246	(5) metrics for evaluating state policy
247	247	implementation and effectiveness;
248	248	(6) a review of alternative funding sources and
249	249	service delivery models for the state's system; and
250	250	(7) a plan and proposed time for state policy changes
251	251	and implementation.
252	252	Sec. 550A.0011. FUNDING. The task force may accept gifts,
253	253	grants, and donations to accomplish the purposes of the task force.
254	254	Sec. 550A.0012. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires and the
255	255	task force is abolished September 1, 2028.
256	256	SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
257	257	date of this Act, the appointing authorities shall appoint the
258	258	members of the task force on disability policy established by
259	259	Section 550A.0002, Government Code, as added by this Act.
260	260	(b) Not later than September 30, 2025, the task force on
261	261	disability policy established by Section 550A.0002, Government
262	262	Code, as added by this Act, shall hold its initial meeting.
263	263	(c) Not later than September 1, 2028, the task force on
264	264	disability policy shall submit the plan required under Section
265	265	550A.0008, Government Code, as added by this Act, and the final
266	266	report required under Section 550A.0010, Government Code, as added
267	267	by this Act.
268	268	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.