House Committee on Human Services - 86th R.S. (2019)

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Committee Members

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Charges

• Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensureintended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  
  Related to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  
  
  
  • HB 3117, which requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to review the statewide bed capacity in community facilities for individuals with an intellectual disability and develop a process to re-allocate unused beds among regions in the state.
  
  
  • HB 4533, which makes certain reforms to Medicaid managed care and creates a pilot program to deliver acute care and long-term services and supports to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities within Medicaid managed care. Monitor HHSC's rulemaking process, the implementation of the pilot program, and the evaluation of alternative models of care for high needs children in Medicaid.
  
  
  • HHSC Rider 21, which requires HHSC to develop a plan to replace the current day habilitation services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to more integrated and community-based services.
  
  
  • HHSC Rider 42, which directs HHSC to conduct a Medicaid waiver interest list study and update the Statewide Intellectual and Developmental Disability Strategic Plan.
    
  
  
  
  
  Related to Medicaid
  
  • HB 25, which creates a pilot program that provides medical transportation to women in the Medicaid program and their children. Monitor the establishment of the pilot program including any challenges to its implementation; monitor HHSC's rulemaking process.
  
  
  • SB 1096, which improves medication access for certain children with disabilities in Medicaid and streamlines the prior authorization process when a child is hospitalized. Monitor the implementation of new prior authorization procedures directed by the legislation and identify any challenges to implementation. Review managed care organizations' (MCO) compliance with the changes.
  
  
  • HB 1483, which creates a pilot program for assisting certain recipients of public benefits to gain permanent self-sufficiency. Monitor any rulemaking by HHSC and the Texas Workforce Commission.
  
  
  • HB 1576, which allows Medicaid clients to utilize ride-sharing companies to provide transportation to appointments and carves the medical transportation program into managed care. Conduct oversight of the phased-in transition of medical transportation program services into managed care. Monitor HHSC's rulemaking process.
  
  
  • SB 1207, which increases access to resources and information for families of medically fragile children in Medicaid and establishes an independent review of managed care decisions. Conduct oversight of bill implementation, including the establishment of the independent review process and the dedicated escalation help line; new notice requirements related to Medicaid coverage or prior authorization denials and incomplete requests; modifications to interest list procedures; improvements to care needs assessments; and greater coordination of benefits. Monitor the agency's rulemaking process and MCO compliance with the reforms directed through the legislation.
  
  
  • SB 1780, which authorizes HHSC to enter into value-based arrangements in the Medicaid vendor drug program.
  
  
  • SB 1991, which revises provisions relating to HHSC's electronic visit verification system (EVV). Monitor HHSC's rulemaking process to implement due process procedures for MCOs conducting payment recoveries in Medicaid and CHIP; conduct oversight of the creation of an open model system for EVV that alleviates administrative burdens placed on providers and of the legislative direction that allows a health care provider using a recognized proprietary EVV system to be reimbursed under Medicaid for the use of that system.
  
  
  
  
  Related to Former Foster Youth and Post-Permanency Care
  
  • HB 53, which expands the transitional living services program for youth in foster care.
  
  
  • HB 72, which allows continued access to intensive Medicaid services post-adoption for a child adopted out of state foster care with a chronic health condition. Examine the process by which HHSC and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) develop a mechanism to provide access to those intensive Medicaid services and ensure the continuum of care is strengthened for a child transitioning between the foster care system and adoption.
  
  
  • HB 123, which allows youth in foster care or a youth experiencing homelessness to receive a copy of their birth certificate and apply for a driver’s license or state ID without paying a fee and without parental consent in certain cases. Conduct oversight of the coordination between DFPS, the Department of Public Safety, and local officials to implement this legislation.
  
  
  • HB 1702, which expands the role of foster care liaisons at public institutions of higher education to assist students who were formerly in the foster care system.
  
  
  • HHSC Rider 35, which requires HHSC to evaluate the number of former foster youth who do not renew Medicaid to maintain continuous health coverage until their 26th birthday and develop recommendations to improve the rate at which they renew Medicaid coverage.
  
  
  Related to Child Care Quality and Safety
  
  • SB 568, which transfers certain regulatory authority over child care facilities from DFPS to HHSC and increases regulation and oversight of family homes. Monitor the transfer of regulatory authority from DFPS to HHSC and HHSC's rulemaking process.
  
  
  • SB 569, which transfers certain regulatory authority over child care facilities from DFPS to HHSC and requires HHSC to adopt minimum standards for listed family homes. Monitor the transfer of regulatory authority from DFPS to HHSC and HHSC's rulemaking process.
  
  
  • SB 706, which reinstates an investigation unit within HHSC to seek out illegally operating child care facilities.
  
  
  • SB 708, which requires HHSC to collect certain data from licensed day-care centers and provide recommendations to the legislature on updates to minimum standards to ensure child safely.
  
  
  • SB 952, which puts standards in place for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time for certain child-care facilities and homes. Monitor HHSC's rulemaking process.
  
  
  Related to Long-Term Services and Supports
  
  • HB 1848, which relates to prevention of communicable diseases in certain long-term care facilities. Monitor the establishment of the antimicrobial stewardship regional advisory committees.
  
  
  • HB 2050, which puts protections in place to prevent nursing home and long-term care facility residents from being administered an antipsychotic or neuroleptic medication without written consent or under coercion or undue influence.
  
  
  • HB 2205, which puts in place expanded requirements relating to the informal dispute resolution process between HHSC and a long-term care facility.
  
  
  • SB 1519, which establishes a council on long-term care facilities and an informal dispute resolution process regarding those facilities.
    
  
  
  • HHSC Rider 157, which requires HHSC to develop a strategic plan to recruit, retain, and ensure adequate access to the services of community attendants. Monitor the development of enhanced network adequacy standards in Medicaid related to community attendants access, the collection of required data by HHSC, and the creation of the cross-agency forum.
  
  

• Review how Texas is preparing for state and federal budgetary changes that impact the state's health programs, including: the Family First Prevention Services Act; the next phase of the 1115 Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Waiver; Texas’ Targeted Opioid Response Grant; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule, and the Healthy Texas Women Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Public Health)

• Monitor the implementation and expansion of Community-Based Care by DFPS. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Appropriations)

• Examine the long-term services and support system of care in Texas. Study workforce challenges for both institutional and community services, with a focus on home- and community-based services in the state's STAR+PLUS program. Review what impact funding provided by the 86th Legislature to increase the base wage for community attendant services and the increased funding for rate enhancements have on workforce retention and quality. Consider options to both stabilize and expand the workforce. Review the long-term care programs and services available to Texas' seniors, including community alternatives to institutional care available through programs like the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. Examine the adequacy of current funding mechanisms, including Medicaid reimbursement rates and supplemental or add-on payments, to incentivize high-quality care. Consider mechanisms to promote a stable, sustainable, and quality-based long-term care system to address current and future needs of the state.

• Examine the adequacy of Medicaid reimbursements for nursing facilities, including existing incentive-based payment models and the Quality Incentive Payment Program. Consider and make recommendations to incentivize innovative models of care delivery in nursing home facilities. Study the impact of the STAR+PLUS managed care program on nursing facility care, operations and patient health outcomes, and consider recommendations to improve administrative processes between facilities and managed care organizations.

• Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration.

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