Subject search results

25 Document(s) [ Subject: ]

Committee:	Senate Veteran Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Affordable housing | General Land Office, Texas | Homelessness | Law enforcement | Mental health services | Mentally ill persons | Post-traumatic stress disorder | Privatization | Veterans | Veterans cemeteries | Veterans health care | Workforce Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number:	L1836.87 V641
Session:	87th R.S. (2021)
Online version:	View report [26 pages  File size: 523 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	State Veteran Cemeteries: Evaluate the current oversight of the Texas State Veteran Cemeteries to ensure that these sacred and essential grounds are being maintained, repaired, and treated with respect. Ensure that the needs of our veterans are being met by reviewing the number, location, and funding of the cemeteries. Examine and make recommendations for the financing mechanism for the Texas State Veterans Cemeteries to ensure sustainability.
2.	Veteran Benefits: Explore and report on options to remove barriers for companies offering veteran benefits and consider policies that could leverage additional public-private-partnerships. Identify opportunities to connect veterans to existing business resources and available state services. Recommend ways to increase matching federal funding for veteran benefits. Review current law for consistency in eligibility for state veteran benefits and recommend any necessary changes.
3.	Veteran Mental Health: Review the currently accepted forms of treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and consider the creation of a program which would require completion of a multi-modality treatment plan including traditional talk therapy, limbic system therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT).
4.	Veteran Mental Health: Identify the training and resources available to urban and rural first responders when assisting veterans experiencing a mental health crisis. Make recommendations for how to best support first responders in these crisis situations.
Committee:	House Corrections
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Criminal justice | Criminal Justice, Texas Department of | Driving while intoxicated | Foster care | Homelessness | Parole | Prisons | Probation | Recidivism | Senior citizens | Veterans | Veterans Commission, Texas | Women inmates |
Library Call Number:	L1836.86 C817
Session:	86th R.S. (2019)
Online version:	View report [63 pages  File size: 2,182 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	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 ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following: HB 374, 86th R.S., which relates to meetings or visits between a defendant on community supervision and a supervision officer. Monitor community supervision and corrections department rules regarding the scheduling of meetings or visits with a defendant placed on community supervision. Examine the process by which community supervision and corrections departments implement newly adopted policies. HB 650, 86th R.S. and HB 3227, 86th R.S., which relate to the welfare of confined females within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Monitor TDCJ rules regulating treatment of incarcerated women. Examine the process by which the department facilitates the educational, medical, and wellness needs of incarcerated pregnant women. HB 1191, 86th R.S., which relates to an annual report concerning the number of inmates who have been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services. Monitor the TDCJ's collection of statistical information concerning the total number of inmates who have at any time been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services. SB 1147, 86th R.S., which relates to conditions of community supervision for certain driving while intoxicated offenses. Monitor the implementation of the legislation and provide recommendations to improve access to treatment for defendants convicted of driving while intoxicated
2.	Examine gaps in services and assess efforts to connect justice-involved veterans, senior citizens, and homeless populations to services while incarcerated and after release at both the local and state levels. Specifically, the committee should evaluate training and technical assistance provided by the Texas Veterans Commission to criminal justice agencies. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs)
3.	Examine the current parole revocation warrant ("blue warrant") procedure. Specifically, the committee should consider the monetary costs to the counties; using Risk Assessment Instruments and the Offense Severity Scale to evaluate static and dynamic factors associated with an offender's record in order to escalate high-risk revocation offenders to the Department of Public Safety for immediate detention; and creating an online list providing the number of outstanding "blue warrants" pending per county.
4.	Evaluate funding provided to the TDCJ for the repair, maintenance, and upgrade of prison facilities. Determine areas of the facilities that are in most need of repair, maintenance, or upgrade and examine the costs associated with such repairs, maintenance, or upgrades. Examine the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee's administration of Hepatitis C treatment and procedures. Review the Community Justice Assistance Division's current compliance practices and examine current funding formulas for adult probation departments. Study the TDCJ's ownership of real property not being used for prison facilities, including the amount of property owned and its highest and best use. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Appropriations)
5.	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.
Committee:	House Defense and Veterans' Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	County jails | Homelessness | Mental health services | Military bases | Military Department, Texas | Senior citizens | Veterans | Veterans health care |
Library Call Number:	L1836.86 D361
Session:	86th R.S. (2019)
Online version:	View report [88 pages  File size: 5,049 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	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 ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following: HB 1326, which is the sunset legislation for the Texas Military Department. Examine the Adjutant General's policy outlining the director of state administration's responsibility for state administrative interests across all programs, including evaluating procedures for oversight of state employees and mitigating compliance risks.
2.	Study the mental health treatment options available for all Texas veterans, including efforts to fill gaps left by federal government. Make recommendations for future legislation streamlining mental health treatment coordination among federal, state, and local agencies.
3.	Study the potential impact of eliminating Regional Military Sustainability Commissions as an ineffective tool in assisting Texas military installations and their host defense communities with protecting the missions, operations, readiness, and resiliency of military installations. Identify new and enhanced strategies to replace the Commissions with land use limitations or restrictions, regulatory strategies, annexation powers, contractual agreements, or other tools to preserve military use areas inside and outside municipal boundaries.
4.	Examine gaps in services and assess efforts to connect justice-involved veterans, senior citizens, and homeless populations to services while incarcerated and after release at both the local and state levels. Specifically, the committee should evaluate training and technical assistance provided by the Texas Veterans Commission to criminal justice agencies. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Corrections)
5.	Review the connection between the economic vitality of business and industry and the economic vitality of our military veterans transitioning into the workforce. Specifically, the committee should analyze barriers to military veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life, the effectiveness of government transition and training benefits, and current and ongoing demand for veteran and military spouse employment from industry in Texas. (Joint charge with the House Committee on International Relations & Economic Development)
6.	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.
Committee:	House Defense and Veterans' Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Aerospace industry | Base realignment and closure | Defense Economic Adjustment Assistant Grants | Emergency management | Homelessness | Hurricane Harvey | Mental health services | Military bases | Veterans | Veterans health care |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 D361
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [36 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Evaluate the impact of Hurricane Harvey related to the Texas Military Department, Emergency Management Council, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Recommend any changes that could improve operational stability and the reaction of these agencies following a natural disaster and changes that would allow for a more effective response.
2.	Assess ways the State of Texas can further aid federal military installations and their communities in order to minimize the negative consequences of a Base Realignment and Closure round by the federal government.
3.	Examine best practices related to use of the Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant program to maximize support for military installations, and how the state can better serve military installations in Texas. Also, evaluate changes that would increase utilization of the Texas Military Revolving Loan Fund.
4.	Study the economic impact of the aviation, aerospace, & defense manufacturing industry in Texas and the state's ability to facilitate industry job growth and investment. Review the relationship between the economic vitality of industry and military veterans transitioning into the workforce. Determine existing and potential barriers to the retention and expansion of the manufacturing industry in the state and the broader economic implications it may have on workforce readiness, as well as veteran employment and support services. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Economic & Small Business Development)
5.	Examine the needs of homeless veterans in Texas. Examine obstacles veterans may face finding housing across the state. Recommend measures to bolster the state's efforts to address veteran homelessness in Texas.
6.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, review the implementation of S.B. 27 (85R) and the related Veterans Mental Health Program, as well as S.B. 578 (85R) and the development of the Veterans Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
Committee:	House Opioids and Substance Abuse, Select
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Child Protective Services | Criminal justice | Drug courts | Drug rehabilitation programs | Emergency medical services | Homelessness | Juvenile justice system | Law enforcement | Mentally ill persons | Opioids | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Pregnancy | Prescription drugs | Specialty courts | State agencies | Substance abuse | Synthetic drugs | Veterans |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 Op3
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [117 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the prevalence and impact of substance use and substance use disorders in Texas, including co-occurring mental illness. Study the prevalence and impact of opioids and synthetic drugs in Texas. Review the history of overdoses and deaths due to overdoses. Also review other health-related impacts due to substance abuse. Identify substances that are contributing to overdoses, related deaths and health impacts, and compare the data to other states. During the review, identify effective and efficient prevention and treatment responses by health care systems, including hospital districts and coordination across state and local governments. Recommend solutions to prevent overdoses and related health impacts and deaths in Texas.
2.	Review the prevalence of substance abuse and substance use disorders in pregnant women, veterans, homeless individuals, and people with co-occurring mental illness. In the review, study the impact of opioids and identify available programs specifically targeted to these populations and the number of people served. Consider whether the programs have the capacity to meet the needs of Texans. In addition, research innovative programs from other states that have reduced substance abuse and substance use disorders, and determine if these programs would meet the needs of Texans. Recommend strategies to increase the capacity to provide effective services.
3.	Review policies and guidelines used by state agencies to monitor for and prevent abuse of prescription drugs in state-funded or state-administered programs. Include in this review policies implemented by the Texas Medicaid Program, the Division of Workers’ Compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance, the Teacher Retirement System, and the Employee Retirement System. Make recommendations regarding best practices.
4.	Monitor and evaluate the implementation of legislation passed by the 85th Legislature regarding the Prescription Monitoring Program. In addition, review the prescribing of addictive drugs by physicians and other health care providers within various geographic regions of this state. Determine the role of health care professionals in preventing overutilization and diversion of addictive prescriptions. Provide recommendations that will improve efforts to prevent overutilization and diversion of addictive prescriptions.
5.	Identify how opioids have impacted the normal scope of work for law enforcement, first responders, and hospital emergency department personnel.
6.	Examine the impact of substance abuse and substance use disorders on Texans who are involved in the adult or juvenile criminal justice system and/or the Child Protective Services system. Identify barriers to treatment and the availability of treatment in various areas of the state. Recommend solutions to improve state and local policy, including alternatives to justice system involvement, and ways to increase access to effective treatment and recovery options.
7.	Examine the impact of overdose reporting defense laws known as "Good Samaritan" laws.
8.	Identify the specialty courts in Texas that specialize in substance use disorders. Determine the effectiveness of these courts and consider solutions to increase the number of courts in Texas.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House Opioids and Substance Abuse, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, April 17, 2018 (Overview of opioids and substance abuse, prevalence of substance use disorders in special populations, review of policies and guidelines of state agencies, opioids and substance abuse impact on children and foster care).
Library Call Number:
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View document [140 pages  File size: 7,655 kb]
Committee:	House Public Health
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Affordable housing | Alzheimer's disease | Child Protective Services | Children's mental health | Dementia | Family preservation | Homelessness | Housing | Maternal mortality | Medicaid | Mental health services | Mentally ill persons | Organ and tissue donations | Rural areas | Rural health care | Substance abuse | Telemedicine | Transitional housing | Women's health |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 H349h
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [125 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review state programs that provide women’s health services and recommend solutions to increase access to effective and timely care. During the review, identify services provided in each program, the number of providers and clients participating in the programs, and the enrollment and transition process between programs. Monitor the work of the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force and recommend solutions to reduce maternal deaths and morbidity. In addition, review the correlation between pre-term and low birth weight births and the use of alcohol and tobacco. Consider options to increase treatment options and deter usage of these substances.
2.	Study treatment of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's, and dementia, and recommend opportunities for advancing treatment and cures.
3.	Study and make recommendations to improve services available for identifying and treating children with mental illness, including the application of trauma- and grief-informed practices. Identify strategies to assist in understanding the impact and recognizing the signs of trauma in children and providing school-based or community-based mental health services to children who need them. Analyze the role of the Texas Education Agency and of the regional Education Service Centers regarding mental health. In addition, review programs that treat early psychosis among youth and young adults.
4.	Study the overlays among housing instability, homelessness, and mental illness. Review the availability of supportive housing opportunities for individuals with mental illness. Consider options to address housing stability and homelessness among people with mental illness. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Urban Affairs)
5.	Review opportunities to improve population health and health care delivery in rural and urban medically underserved areas. Identify potential opportunities to improve access to care, including the role of telemedicine. In the review, identify the challenges facing rural hospitals and the impact of rural hospital closures.
6.	Analyze the prevalence of children involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) who have a mental illness and/or a substance use disorder. In addition, analyze the prevalence of children involved with CPS due to their guardian's substance abuse or because of an untreated mental illness. Identify methods to strengthen CPS processes and services, including efforts for family preservation; increasing the number of appropriate placements designed for children with high needs; and ensuring Texas Medicaid is providing access to appropriate and effective behavioral health services. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Human Services)
7.	Evaluate the process of organ and bone marrow donations. Consider opportunities to improve organ and bone marrow donation awareness in order to increase the number of willing donors.
8.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the Committee will also specifically closely monitor the implementation of H.B. 10 (85R), H.B. 13 (85R), and S.B. 292 (85R).
9.	Consider testimony provided at the May 17 House Public Health Committee hearing regarding improving mental health services for children. Identify specific strategies that would enhance overall school safety. Study ways to help parents, youth and primary care providers support school personnel in their efforts to identify and intervene early when mental health problems arise. In addition to school-based trauma-informed programs and those that treat early psychosis, consider the benefits of universal screening tools and expanding the Child Psychiatry Access Program (CPAP). Make recommendations to enhance collaboration among the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Education Agency, local mental health authorities, and education service centers.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House Public Health
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, September 12, 2018 (Housing instability, homelessness and mental illness).
Library Call Number:
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View document [46 pages  File size: 1,036 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Children's mental health | Homelessness | Mental health services | Rural health care | Veterans |
Library Call Number:	L1836.84 M528
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View report [117 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review the behavioral health system, including substance abuse treatment, for adults and children. Make recommendations to improve the delivery and coordination of services to create an integrated system to improve early identification of mental illness, improve access and continuity of services, reduce barriers to treatment, and increase collaboration between entities responsible for the delivery of care in a manner that will ultimately reduce cost and improve care.
2.	Identify educational, healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice, judiciary, state, county, and city entities that are statutorily or contractually responsible for the identification or delivery of behavioral health services. Review how the services are directly or indirectly connected and how the entities work together.
3.	Review entry points into the mental health system for both adults and children; how individuals gain access to services; what services are available; the effectiveness of services; and how to define, prioritize, measure, and improve outcomes achieved for adults and children.
4.	Identify local and state cost of mental health in Texas and identify measures to reduce cost to the overall system by improving care.
5.	Study and recommend solutions for the challenges within the current system, including, but not limited to, how to provide effective services in the short term and close gaps over the longer term in mental-health workforce shortage areas; access to appropriate mental health care for school-age children, including those identified through Mental Health First Aid training, to break the school to juvenile detention to prison pipeline; factors contributing to differences in communities’ access to law enforcement and Judges with specific mental health training; communities’ access to crises intervention and jail diversion services; communities’ ability to plan and coordinate between healthcare providers and systems, law enforcement, the judiciary, and the criminal justice systems to deliver and coordinate care; and the location and availability of inpatient treatment beds, including how the need for inpatient beds varies by the effectiveness of the entire system. Also, identify obstacles to adequate insurance coverage for mental health services.
6.	Identify the challenges of providing care and increasing access to veterans, homeless Texans, and individuals with serious mental illness.
7.	Examine challenges of providing services in underserved and rural areas of the state and in communities serving high numbers of Texans below 200% poverty level.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, February 18, 2016 (Mental health and behavioral health)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [181 pages  File size: 9,046 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 22, 2016 (Children and mental health)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [184 pages  File size: 11,847 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, April 27, 2016 (Mental health and behavioral health care)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [87 pages  File size: 4,917 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, April 28, 2016 (Mental health and behavioral health care)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [79 pages  File size: 4,218 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, June 2, 2016 (Insurance - coverage for collaborate care, representatives of commercial health plans and state employee health plans, Medicaid and CHIP; law enforcement/criminal justice)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [149 pages  File size: 6,864 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, August 18, 2016 (Homeless, substance abuse, and veteran services)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [156 pages  File size: 9,496 kb]
Committee:	House Mental Health, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, September 22, 2016 (Mental health hospitals, mental health services - public institutions of higher ed)
Library Call Number:
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View document [130 pages  File size: 6,254 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Counties | County jails | Ebola | Emergency management | Homelessness | Hospitals | Jail population | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Managed care | Marijuana | Medicaid | Mental health services | Population growth | Specialty courts | Veterans |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 C832
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [106 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine population growth in Texas counties and the impact the growth has had on housing, available land resources, businesses in Texas, as well as the impact of growth on the state's economy. Evaluate Texas's preparedness to respond to future growth and ensure economic stability.
2.	Continue oversight of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and issues jails currently face, including the mental health of those in jail, and make recommendations for refinement or improvement of processes and programs.
3.	Monitor the health advisory panel stemming from HB 3793, 83rd R.S..
4.	Determine which counties have implemented a cite-and-summons policy, whether the policy has been effective in lessening overcrowding in county jails, and whether those cited by peace officers comply with the policy.
5.	Study the implementation of SB 462, 83rd R.S.. Examine which counties currently have veterans courts, as well as veterans courts in other states, and determine how those programs are working and whether these courts provide additional services or resources for veterans. Make appropriate recommendations. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs)
6.	Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 10, 2014 (Population growth, Texas Commission on Jail Standards and county jails, HB 3793 mental health advisory panel, Medicaid 1115 waiver, veterans courts)
Library Catalog Title:	Minutes
Library Call Number:	L1801.9 C832 83 2014: MAR 10
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [170 pages  File size: 8,459 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, May 5, 2014 (Texas Commission on Jail Standards and county jails, HB 3793 mental health advisory panel, cite-and-summons policy, oversight of healthy community collaboratives)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [102 pages  File size: 9,604 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, May 15, 2014 (Medicaid 1115 waiver)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [220 pages  File size: 41,128 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, October 20, 2014 (Population growth, Texas Commission on Jail Standards and county jails, HB 3793 mental health advisory panel, emergency response preparedness/ebola)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [171 pages  File size: 12,739 kb]
Committee:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas | Child abuse | Child Protective Services | Computers and government | Contraceptives | Dental Examiners, Texas State Board of | Family planning | Foster care | Healthy Texas Women | Homelessness | Medicaid | Medicaid fraud | Medically uninsured | Mental health services | Mentally ill persons | Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Substance abuse | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families | Welfare eligibility | Welfare reform | Welfare-to-work | Women's health |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 H349
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [58 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review the Department of Family and Protective Services’ efforts to reduce child fatalities. Review the process by which the Department of Family and Protective Services collects and uses data to evaluate agency performance and improve outcomes for children in the Child Protective Services system. Make recommendations to ensure the process effectively uses data to strategically improve caseworker performance, and identify and improve upon deficiencies within the system and improve overall outcomes for children and reduce child fatalities.
2.	Monitor the implementation of programs that were created or expanded by the 83rd Legislature to improve mental health and substance abuse services and assess these efforts' contribution to improved outcomes such as reduced recidivism in state hospitals, diversion from emergency rooms and county jails, and access to permanent supportive housing. Identify and address gaps in the current mental health and substance abuse system and make recommendations to better coordinate services across agencies and programs.
3.	Build on previous legislative achievements in women's healthcare by examining women’s access to preventative health care, pregnancy services, and post-partum care, and exploring ways to expand access and improve quality, particularly in rural and underserved areas of the state. Monitor the implementation of women's health programs in Texas. Assess these programs' impact on outcomes such as improving access to preventative services, reducing unplanned pregnancies, and achieving cost savings. Recommend ways to better coordinate the various programs in a manner that increases the number of women served, ensures adequate provider capacity statewide, and maximizes efficiencies to the state.
4.	Identify cost-effective alternatives to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to better connect low income individuals to health care services through private market-based solutions, including Medicaid block grants and waivers. Recommendations should strive to encourage cost sharing, promote personal responsibility, reduce uncompensated care costs, contain increasing health care costs, improve access to care, address access to emergency department care issues in rural areas, promote the use of existing private coverage or employee sponsored coverage, reduce non-­?emergency use of emergency departments, and reduce the need for federal approval to the state Medicaid plan.
5.	Evaluate the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program structure. Make recommendations to improve the program's operations and ensure the program achieves outcomes that allow TANF recipients to find employment and achieve self-sufficiency. Recommendations should seek to ensure Texas is using the most effective work-related requirements and drug testing protocols.
6.	Evaluate the current state of prescription drug abuse and strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse in Texas. Make recommendations on how these policies can be improved or modified to enhance the State of Texas’ handling of services, treatments and education related to prescription drug abuse and to reduce the overall prevalence of prescription drug abuse.
7.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation, including but not limited to: Monitor implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of Medicaid long-term care services and supports, including the redesign of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Monitor implementation of initiatives aimed at reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in Texas Medicaid and other health and human services programs. Dental Board Reforms: Monitor implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the State Board of Dental Examiners' ability to protect public safety, including strengthening the Board's authority and enforcement powers, improving the complaint review and resolution processes, and increasing staffing to improve the Board's ability to respond to complaints and potential fraudulent activity. Determine whether there are additional changes necessary to ensure that the Board is able to regulate the practice of dentistry and ensure public safety. Cancer Prevention and Research Institute: Monitor implementation of initiatives aimed at restructuring the governance structure, eliminating conflicts of interest, and increasing transparency at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
Committee:	Joint Affordable Housing, Task Force on
Title:	Interim report
Library Catalog Title:	Report to the 71st Legislature / Joint Interim Task Force on Affordable Housing.
Subjects:	Affordable housing | Colonias | Fair housing | Homelessness | Poverty |
Library Call Number:	L1836.70 h817
Session:	70th R.S. (1987)
Online version:	View report [31 pages  File size: 1,286 kb]
Charge:	This report should address the charge below.
1.	Study the need for affordable housing in Texas.
Supporting documents
Committee:	Joint Affordable Housing, Task Force on
Title:	HCR 148, 70th Leg.
Library Call Number:	HCR 148
Session:	70th R.S. (1987)
Online version:	View document [2 pages  File size: 191 kb]
Committee:	Joint Affordable Housing, Task Force on
Title:	Committee documentation: daily minutes record
Library Catalog Title:	Minutes
Library Call Number:	L1836.70 H817
Session:	70th R.S. (1987)
Online version:	View document [1 pages  File size: 19 kb]

Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.