HBA-CCH H.B. 1154 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1154
By: Raymond
Human Services
3/11/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to
assist communities, at their request, in developing comprehensive,
community-based support for long-term care services.  However, current law
does not provide for financial resources to assist organizations in their
efforts to provide quality community-based long-term care.  House Bill 1154
authorizes HHSC to provide grants  to community organizations that at least
partially match the state's grant for long-term care services.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1154 amends the Government Code to authorize the Health and
Human Services Commission (HHSC) to make grants to community-based
organizations that request the grants for the support of longterm care
services.  H.B. 1154 requires HHSC to evaluate the organization's proposal
based on demonstrated need and the merit of the proposal.  A combination of
community-based organizations that make a proposal must designate a single
organization to receive and administer the grant.   The bill requires HHSC
to give priority to proposals that will use the Internet and related
information technologies to provide client referral services, other
information regarding local long-term care services, and needs assessment. 

The bill provides that  community-based organizations must at least
partially match the state's grant with money or resources from a
nongovernmental entity, from a local government, or if the community-based
organization is a local government, from fees or taxes collected by the
local government.  Communitybased organizations are authorized to then
combine money or resources from a variety of state, local, federal, and
private sources.  If a community-based organization receives a grant on
behalf of a combination of community-based organizations or if the
community-based organization's proposal involves coordinating with other
entities, HHSC is authorized to condition receipt of the grant on the
organization's making a good faith effort to coordinate with other
entities.  The bill authorizes HHSC to adopt guidelines for these
proposals. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.