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23 Document(s) [ Subject: Foster care ]

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:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Child abuse | Child Protective Services | Emergency management | Employees Retirement System of Texas | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Foster care | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Health care costs | Healthy Texas Women | Hurricane Harvey | Insurance, Texas Department of | Juvenile justice system | Managed care | Medicaid | Natural disasters | Opioids | Prescription drugs | Public health | State Health Services, Texas Department of | Substance abuse | Teacher Retirement System of Texas |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 H349
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [98 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review the state's response to Hurricane Harvey with a focus on public health efforts at the local and state level. The review should include an analysis of the state and local response related to vector control, immunization needs, utilization of health-related volunteers, adequacy of an emergency medical network, evacuation of vulnerable populations from state operated or regulated facilities, and coordination between all levels of government. Recommend any legislative changes necessary to improve public health response and coordination during and after a disaster.
2.	Evaluate the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the capacity of out-of-home placements and care for youth involved with the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Determine how the state can ensure support is available to provide appropriate care as close to home as possible as facilities and offices are rebuilt.
3.	Child Welfare: Review the efficacy and quality of services offered to ensure family preservation while in the Family Based Social Services (FESS) stage of service at the Department of Family and Protective Services. Make recommendations to better track quality of services and link payments to providers of these services to outcomes for families and children. Analyze the Department of Family and Protective Services' progress in meeting statutory requirements related to timely visits to children involved in a reported case of abuse or neglect. Make recommendations to further improve the timeliness of these visits. Review services and supports provided to children in Permanent Managing Conservatorship of the state, and the level of preparedness given to youth aging out of state care. Examine the impact of recent legislation related to these populations, and make recommendations to ensure youth in care are ready for adulthood and to reduce the likelihood of intergenerational perpetuation of child maltreatment. Assess the effectiveness of public and private agency efforts to recruit and retain foster parents. Identify barriers to entry and obstacles that prevent interested families from continuing to provide foster care. Recommend solutions to increase foster recruitment and address non-renewals, especially in first-time foster parents.
4.	Substance Abuse/Opioids: Review substance use prevention, intervention, and recovery programs operated or funded by the state and make recommendations to enhance services, outreach, and agency coordination. Examine the adequacy of substance use, services for pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in Medicaid or the Healthy Texas Women Program and recommend ways to improve substance use related health outcomes for these women and their newborns. Examine the impact of recent legislative efforts to curb overprescribing and doctor shopping via the prescription monitoring program and recommend ways to expand on current efforts.
5.	Medicaid Managed Care Quality and Compliance: Review the Health and Human Services Commission's efforts to improve quality and efficiency in the Medicaid program, including pay-for-quality initiatives in Medicaid managed care. Compare alternative payment models and value-based payment arrangements with providers in Medicaid managed care, the Employees Retirement System, and the Teachers Retirement System, and identify areas for cross-collaboration and coordination among these entities. Evaluate the commission's efforts to ensure Medicaid managed care organizations' compliance with contractual obligations and the use of incentives and sanctions to enforce compliance. Assess the commission's progress in implementing competitive bidding practices for Medicaid managed care contracts and other initiatives to ensure the best value for taxpayer dollars used in Medicaid managed care contracts.
6.	Health Care Cost Transparency: Study efforts by the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Department of Insurance to increase health care cost transparency, including a review of the Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) system, and the Consumer Guide to Healthcare. Recommend ways to make provider and facility fees more accessible to consumers to improve health care cost transparency, increase quality of care, and create a more informed health care consumer base.
7.	Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, 85th Legislature and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation, including but not limited to: • Initiatives to increase capacity and reduce waitlists in the mental health system, including the construction of state hospitals and new community grant programs; • Initiatives to better understand the causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, including the impact of legislation passed during the first special session of the 85th Legislature. Recommend ways to improve health outcomes for pregnant women and methods to better collect data related to maternal mortality and morbidity; • Initiatives intended to improve child safety, Child Protective Services workforce retention, and development of additional capacity in the foster care system. Make additional recommendations to ensure children with high levels of medical or mental health needs receive timely access to services in the least restrictive setting; • Efforts to transfer case management of foster children and families to Single Source Continuum Contractors (SSCCs). Monitor the progress of this transition and make recommendations to ensure the process provides continuity of services for children and families and ongoing community engagement; • Initiatives to strengthen oversight of long-term care facilities to ensure safety and improve quality for residents and clients of these entities; and • Abortion complications and other reporting legislation that was passed by the 85th Legislature.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Adoption | Assisted living facilities | Child abuse | Child abuse prevention | Child Protective Services | Early childhood intervention | Emergency management | Family preservation | Foster care | Hurricane Harvey | Long-term care | Managed care | Medicaid | Medicaid program management | Mentally ill persons | Natural disasters | Nursing homes | Pharmaceutical industry | Prescription drugs | State supported living centers | Substance abuse | Tropical storms |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 H88
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [50 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the impact of Hurricane Harvey and the response to the storm on individuals living in long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, state supported living centers, licensed community group homes, and children in the foster care system. Identify and recommend necessary solutions to ensure appropriate disaster-related protocols are in place to keep vulnerable Texans protected. Also, identify any challenges state agencies experienced in responding to the storm or during recovery efforts.
2.	Review the history and any future roll-out of Medicaid Managed Care in Texas. Determine the impact managed care has had on the quality and cost of care. In the review, determine: initiatives that managed care organizations (MCOs) have implemented to improve quality of care; whether access to care and network adequacy contractual requirements are sufficient; and whether MCOs have improved the coordination of care. Also determine provider and Medicaid participants’ satisfaction within STAR, STAR Health, Star Kids, and STAR+Plus managed care programs. In addition, review the Health and Human Services Commission's (HHSC) oversight of managed care organizations, and make recommendations for any needed improvement.
3.	Examine the survey process for nursing facilities to determine any duplication of government regulations. Consider recommendations to reduce duplication while ensuring patient safety is preserved.
4.	Review the availability of prevention and early intervention programs and determine their effectiveness in reducing maltreatment of children. In addition, review services available to children emancipating out of foster care, as well as services available to families post-adoption. Determine if current services are adequately providing for children's needs and meeting the objectives of the programs. While reviewing possible system improvements for children, follow the work of the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commissions' Statewide Collaborative of Trauma-Informed Care to determine how trauma-informed care impacts outcomes for children.
5.	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 Public Health)
6.	Monitor the HHSC's implementation of Rider 219 in Article II of the General Appropriations Act related to prescription drug benefit administration in Medicaid. Analyze the role of pharmacy benefit managers in Texas Medicaid.
7.	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 closely monitor the implementation of H.B. 4 (85R), H.B. 5 (85R), H.B. 7 (85R), and S.B. 11 (85R).
Committee:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Abortion | Adoption | Adult day care | Assisted living facilities | Birth defects | Child abuse | Child abuse prevention | Child Protective Services | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Foster care | Liability | Long-term care | Managed care | Medicaid | Mental health services | Mentally ill inmates | Nursing homes | Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Organ and tissue donations | Planned Parenthood | Pregnancy | Refugees and asylees | Senior citizens | Services for persons with disabilities | State employee turnover | Sunset review process | Telemedicine | Women's health |
Library Call Number:	L1836.84 H349
Session:	84th R.S. (2015)
Online version:	View report [152 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine the business practices and regulatory structure of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas, and investigate whether state or federal laws are being broken by Planned Parenthood and/or its affiliates in Texas in regards to the donation and/or sale of fetal tissue. Consider recommendations to strengthen regulations on abortion providers, including further restrictions on the sale of fetal tissue by these entities. *
2.	Protecting the Unborn: Part I: Examine and make recommendations on the use of fetal tissue provided for research purposes and how related laws governing abortion procedures are interpreted and enforced. Part II: Examine the cause of action known as “wrongful birth.” The study should examine (1) its history in Texas, (2) its effect on the practice of medicine, and (3) its effect on children with disabilities and their families. Examine related measures proposed or passed in other states.
3.	Protection of Children Part I: Reducing Recurrence of Child Abuse and Neglect: Examine the current process that Child Protective Services uses to track recurrence of child abuse and neglect, and make recommendations to improve data tracking and the use of that data to assist in preventing recurrence. The study should examine the differences in recurrence among families who received services, families who received no services and had their cases closed, and families who had their children removed from the home. Part II: Addressing High-Acuity Needs of Foster Care Children: Study the increase in higher acuity children with trauma and mental illness in the state foster care system, and recommend ways to ensure children have timely access to appropriate treatment and placement options. Part III: Strengthening Adoptions: Examine the frequency, causes, and effects of disrupted foster care adoptions and make recommendations to improve the long-term success of adoptive placements. Study and make recommendations on ways to ensure a smooth transition for foster care children who are exiting the system.
4.	Healthy Aging: Part I: Study and make recommendations on innovative methods and best practices to promote healthy aging for the state’s population and reduce chronic medical and behavioral health conditions. Identify opportunities for improved collaboration to promote healthy aging in the health and human services system at the state, regional and local levels. Part II: Examine and recommend ways to improve quality and oversight in long-term care settings, including nursing homes and ICF/HCS programs. Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services during the 84th Regular Session related to the revocation of nursing home licenses for repeated serious violations.
5.	Medicaid Reform and State Innovation: Study the impact of the Section 1115 Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Waiver on improving health outcomes, reducing costs, and providing access to health care for the uninsured, and monitor the renewal process of the waiver. Explore other mechanisms and make recommendations to control costs and increase quality and efficiency in the Medicaid program, including the pursuit of a block grant or a Section 1332 Medicaid State Innovation Waiver for the existing Medicaid program.
6.	Inpatient Mental Health System Reform: Study and make recommendations on establishing collaborative partnerships between state-owned mental health hospitals and university health science centers to improve inpatient state mental health services, maximize the state mental health workforce, and reduce healthcare costs.
7.	Mental Health Diversion and Forensic Capacity: Study the impact of recent efforts by the legislature to divert individuals with serious mental illness from criminal justice settings and prevent recidivism. Study and make recommendations to address the state's ongoing need for inpatient forensic capacity, including the impact of expanding community inpatient psychiatric beds.
8.	Improving Access to Care through TeleHealth: Study and make recommendations on the appropriate use, scope and application of tele-monitoring and telemedicine services to improve management and outcomes for adults and children with complex medical needs and for persons confined in correctional facilities. Examine barriers to implementation of these services and any impact on access to health care services in rural areas of the state.
9.	Review of Refugee Resettlement Program: Study the impact to the state of the increasing number of refugees relocating to Texas, including the range of health and human services provided. Examine the authority of the state to reduce its burden under the Refugee Resettlement Program, and any state-funded services.
10.	Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation and riders related to health and human services that were considered by the 84th R.S. and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation, including but not limited to: ? The impact of changes made by the Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services on child safety, workforce retention, prevention, and permanency; ? Initiatives to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse, and other cost containment strategies, including examining the processes and procedures used by managed care organizations to address Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse; and The consolidation and expansion of women's health programs at the Health and Human Services Commission.
Committee:	House Child Protection, Select
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Child abuse | Child Protective Services | Child welfare | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Foster care |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 C436
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [54 pages]
Charge:	This report should address the charge below.
1.	This committee shall study the incidence of abuse and neglect fatalities in Texas and make recommendations to protect children. In developing its recommendations, the committee shall: Monitor the ongoing efforts of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), the work of the Protect Our Kids Commission and the National Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, and any relevant Sunset Commission recommendations; Assess the efficacy of ongoing prevention efforts that target resources to families at risk; Examine regulatory policy and contract oversight within the child welfare system; Consider ways to encourage consistent, transparent, and timely review of abuse and neglect fatalities; Monitor ongoing efforts to stabilize the CPS workforce, placing specific emphasis on improving work environment, enhancing the quality of supervision, and addressing the unique challenges facing different regions of the state; Suggest improvements to the screening, assessment, training, and support of potential foster and kinship families; Evaluate the ability of children and youth within the system to report maltreatment; Monitor ongoing efforts to enhance the use of data to improve outcomes; and Consider strategies to ensure better coordination and collaboration among local agencies, faith-based organizations, the private sector, non-profits, and law enforcement to reduce the incidence of abuse and neglect fatalities.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House Child Protection, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, July 1, 2014 (Overview from the agencies, Stakeholder panels 1-2)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [173 pages  File size: 9,125 kb]
Committee:	House Child Protection, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, July 24, 2014 (Contract oversight and regulatory oversight within the child welfare system; Screening, assessment, training and support of foster and kinship families; Ability of children and youth within the system to report maltreatment)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [173 pages  File size: 2,736 kb]
Committee:	House Child Protection, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, September 10, 2014 (Border support operations and unaccompanied alien children, Sunset recommendation, Audit reports, Child Protective Services workforce and data to improve outcomes)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [300 pages  File size: 8,131 kb]
Committee:	House Child Protection, Select
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, September 30, 2014 (Overview from the National Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, State agency panel)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [89 pages  File size: 2,122 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:	House Higher Education
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Advanced Placement programs | Capital construction assistance projects | Distance education | Foster care | Higher education affordability | Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas | Student aid | Student loans | Toward EXcellence, Access & Success Grant Program | University finance |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 Ed84hh
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [47 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the potential of recent technology-enabled innovations for dramatically increasing the number and diversity of students who may access, participate and succeed in quality higher education, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Synchronous Massive Online Courses (SMOCs), blended courses that combine online and classroom instruction, and other innovations with potential to personalize the learning experience, reduce costs, and transcend the physical limitations of traditional campuses. Consider challenges and opportunities for leveraging new technologies to increase the educational attainment of traditionally underserved populations including adult learners.
2.	Study new strategies for funding General Academic institutions to accelerate educational innovation and increase focus on improving student learning and success rather than seat time. Consider approaches that encourage new and more productive business models that incorporate affordable, lower-cost academic delivery models and expand the state's capacity to deliver high-quality education.
3.	Study how state resources might be better used to support the success of the rapidly growing numbers of state residents who need postsecondary degrees. Evaluate current programs and policies related to financial aid, tuition assistance, waivers, and work study, and evaluate their relative impact and return on investment with regard to student enrollment, persistence, and completion. Consider how state dollars might be better used in combination with federal financial aid to promote and accelerate student success. Explore strategies and best practices for reducing student loan default rates in Texas.
4.	Former foster youth have the benefit of free tuition and fees if they enroll in higher education, yet very few take advantage of this opportunity. Consider new strategies to support these youth and make recommendations to enroll and retain more foster youth in higher education. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Human Services
5.	Review current capital needs in higher education. The committees shall examine past methods of financing higher education's capital needs, as well as approaches used in other states. The committees shall jointly make recommendations to address these costs in the future. In adopting recommendations, the committees should focus on methodologies that identify priority capital projects, treat institutions of higher education equitably, and uniformly share costs between the state and institutions. The committees should also examine the viability of alternatives to traditional models for funding capital projects. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Appropriations)
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.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Foster care | Government transparency | Higher education | Medicaid | Mental health services | Mentally disabled persons | Mentally ill persons | STAR+PLUS program | Student aid |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 H88
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [67 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine crisis resources for individuals with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Identify strategies to serve individuals with complex behavioral and medical needs in the community.
2.	Monitor the implementation of Foster Care Redesign. Evaluate its impact on the child welfare system in areas of the state where redesign is underway, including transition from the legacy system, foster family retention and recruitment, placement stability, permanency, and child safety.
3.	Monitor and evaluate implementation of SB 7, 83rd R.S., including agency preparations for the statewide rollout of STAR+PLUS.
4.	Former foster youth have the benefit of free tuition and fees if they enroll in higher education, yet very few take advantage of this opportunity. Consider new strategies to support these youth and make recommendations to enroll and retain more foster youth in higher education. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Higher Education)
5.	Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction, including implementation of the Balancing Incentives Program and 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.
Committee:	House Public Health
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Border crossings | Border issues | Border security | Dental Examiners, Texas State Board of | Dentists | Ebola | Food and Drug Administration, U.S. | Foster care | Immunizations | Medical records | Pharmaceutical industry | Pharmacies | Pregnancy | Prenatal care | Prescription drugs | Psychoactive drugs | Substance abuse | Unaccompanied minors | Undocumented immigrants | Workers' compensation | Workforce Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 H349h
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [82 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Assess the prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug use in the state (including opioid analgesics, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives). Identify adverse health impacts. Recommend strategies to curb emerging substance abuse trends among children, pregnant women, and adults, as well as to reduce health care costs and mortality.
2.	Study and make recommendations for improvements to the licensing, regulation, and monitoring of compounding pharmacies, including a review of the joint cooperative efforts between the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Department of State Health Services, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consider the impact of the passage of SB 1100, 83rd R.S., additional appropriations made by the 83rd Legislature to strengthen inspections, and any relevant federal legislation.
3.	Identify strategies to support the efficient exchange of electronic health information with Texas Health and Human Services enterprise agencies. Examine legal and technical issues around the accessibility of information held in registries maintained by state agencies to authorized health care providers. Identify issues related to health information exchange and providers' liability, as well as concerns related to transitioning patient data in cases where a provider selects a new electronic health record vendor.
4.	Examine the current practice for dispensation of biologic and follow-on biologic (biosimilar) pharmaceutical products in our state. Review any practices for interchangeability of drugs that might pertain to these particular medicines. Review and make recommendations regarding the substitution of biosimilar and biologic medicines.
5.	Monitor transition of the state's immunization registry to a new system. Determine whether the registry can be better utilized to prevent and/or respond to communicable disease outbreaks, including pertussis. Identify potential factors contributing to the rise in the number of pertussis cases and strategies to prevent future outbreaks.
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, including HB 15, 83rd R.S.. 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.
Committee:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas | Caseworkers | Child Protective Services | Children's Health Insurance Program | Dental care | Foster care | Health care | Health care costs | Health insurance | Immunizations | Long-term care | Managed care | Medicaid | Medicaid eligibility | Medical research | Mental health services | Nursing homes | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Public health | State Health Services, Texas Department of | State supported living centers |
Library Call Number:	L1836.82 H349
Session:	82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version:	View report [186 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Monitor the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on insurance regulations, Medicaid and CHIP, health care outcomes and overall health of all Texans, and the state budget in Texas. Additionally, monitor the current constitutional challenges to PPACA and other court cases associated with PPACA, and ensure that the state does not expend any resources until judicial direction is clear. (Joint charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)
2.	Monitor the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on insurance regulations, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health care outcomes, health care workforce, overall health of all Texans, and the state budget in Texas. Additionally, monitor the current constitutional challenges to PPACA, and other court cases associated with PPACA, and ensure that the state does not expend any resources until judicial direction is clear. (Joint charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)
3.	Evaluate the implementation of cost-containment strategies across the Health and Human Services Enterprise to determine if and how each strategy can be expanded upon to achieve additional savings next biennium. The evaluation should include but is not limited to: the expansion of managed care, co-­pays in Medicaid, electronic visit verification, and independent assessments for long-­? term care services. The evaluation should also consider new cost-containment strategies that will increase efficiencies and reduce costs. This evaluation should include but not be limited to: Medicaid, Early Childhood Intervention Services, and immunizations.
4.	Review the state's current investment in health care innovation, including translational research and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute, which focuses on rapid transfer of new technology experimentation directly into the clinical environment. Make recommendations to improve the health of Texans and encourage continued medical research in the most cost-effective manner possible.
5.	Review existing policies for prior authorization and medical necessity review across the Medicaid Program, including nursing homes and orthodontic services. Make recommendations on how these policies could be improved to save money by reducing unnecessary utilization and fraud.
6.	Review the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waivers to identify strategies to lower costs, improve quality, and increase access to services. Areas of the review should include, but are not limited to: Functional eligibility determinations to ensure services are only being delivered to individuals that qualify; Financial eligibility determinations to ensure parental income and resources are considered when the client is a minor; Coordination of acute and long-term care services; Development and use of lower-cost community care waiver options; Coordination with the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) for waiver services for children in conservatorships; Reinvesting savings into accessibility of community care for individuals waiting for services.
7.	Evaluate the management structure and supervision of CPS caseworkers with an emphasis on rural areas. Identify any legislative changes that could assist DFPS in maximizing efficiency, improving quality casework and supervision, and increasing caseworker retention. Identify any legislative changes that could improve the quality of care children receive while in Child Protective Services custody, including improving permanency outcomes.
8.	Examine the delivery and financing of public health services in our state, including how federal funds are distributed by the state to local health departments and whether the work done by Regional Health Departments operated by the Department of State Health Services overlap unnecessarily with local health departments.
9.	Review the state's public mental health system and make recommendations to improve access, service utilization, patient outcomes and system efficiencies. Study current service delivery models for outpatient and inpatient care, funding levels, financing methodologies, services provided, and available community-based alternatives to hospitalization. The review should look to other states for best practices or models that may be successful in Texas. The study shall also review and recommend "best value" practices that the state's public mental health system may implement to maximize the use of federal, state, and local funds.
10.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation, including but not limited to: Health Care Quality and Efficiency - Monitor implementation of initiatives aimed at improving health care quality and efficiency in Texas, including: the transition of Medicaid and the CHIP to quality-based payments, establishment of the Texas Institute of Health Care Quality and Efficiency, implementation of the Health Care Collaborative certificate, patient-centered medical home for high-cost populations, development and use of potentially preventable event outcome measures, and reduction of health care-associated infections. Include recommendations on how to improve and build upon these initiatives, including improving birth outcomes and reducing infant and maternal mortality; Federal Flexibility - Monitor implementation of initiatives to increase state flexibility, including the Health Care Compact and the Medicaid Demonstration Waiver; Foster Care Redesign - Monitor implementation of the initiative to redesign the foster care system; Implementation of DOJ Settlement agreement to address State Supported Living Center concerns.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Child nutrition programs | Diet and nutrition | Food banks | Food stamps | Foster care | Health maintenance organizations | Hunger | Long-term care | Medicaid | Medical reimbursements | Senior citizens |
Library Call Number:	L1836.82 H88
Session:	82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version:	View report [57 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Monitor the implementation of Foster Care Redesign. Evaluate the mechanisms for monitoring and oversight, including rates, contracts, and client outcomes.
2.	Identify policies to alleviate food insecurity, increase access to healthy foods, and incent good nutrition within existing food assistance programs. Consider initiatives in Texas and other states to eliminate food deserts and grocery gaps, encourage urban agriculture and farmers' markets, and increase participation in the Summer Food Program. Evaluate the desirability and feasibility of incorporating nutritional standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Monitor congressional activity on the 2012 Farm Bill and consider its impact on Texas. (Joint with the House Committee on Public Health)
3.	Explore strategies, including those in other states, to support the needs of aging Texans, including best practices in nursing home diversion, expedited access to community services, and programs to assist seniors and their families in navigating the long-term care system, with the goal of helping seniors remain in the community. Assess the feasibility of leveraging volunteer-supported initiatives using existing infrastructure to enhance the ability of seniors to remain active and involved.
4.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 82nd Legislature, including the implementation of managed care in South Texas.
5.	Study and make recommendations for significantly improving the state's manufacturing capability.
6.	Find ways to increase transparency, accountability and efficiency in state government.
Committee:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	Interim report to the 82nd Legislature
Subjects:	Adult Protective Services | Aging and Disability Services, Texas Department of | At-risk youth | Child abuse | Children's Health Insurance Program | Cloning | Crime prevention | Diet and nutrition | Emergency management | Families | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Family violence | Federal government | Foster care | H1N1 virus | Health care | Health care providers | Health insurance | Human services | Long-term care | Medicaid | Medicaid eligibility | Medical Board, Texas | Medical errors | Medical research | Mental health services | Mentally ill persons | Nurses | Obesity | Physicians | Quality of care | Senior citizens | Services for persons with disabilities | State budgets | Stem cell research | Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System |
Library Call Number:	L1836.81 H349
Session:	81st R.S. (2009)
Online version:	View report [272 pages  File size: 6,511 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Upon passage of federal legislation relating to reform of the health care industry and health insurance industry that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission estimates will costs the State of Texas $2 to 2.5 billion per year in General Revenue beginning as early as 2013, study the implications of such legislation on Texas, the health care industry, and public and private insurance. Study and monitor the implementation of the insurance regulatory changes, changes to high risk pool, and any other insurance mandates. Study the health care policy changes and the impact to the Medicaid and CHIP programs and the state budget. Assess the impact to all state uninsured and uncompensated care programs and county programs for the uninsured, including county property tax programs to pay for the uninsured. Make recommendations for the efficient implementation of programs. (Joint charge with Senate State Affairs Committee)
2.	Study the benefits, efficiencies and costs, and effectiveness of the social service related prevention and early intervention programs at the health and human services agencies, the juvenile and adult criminal justice agencies and other government agencies that have programs that address mental illness, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, single-parent families, absentee fathers, early pregnancy, and unemployment. Study other states' prevention programs and efforts to administer these programs through a merged prevention department. Make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs.
3.	Review the timeliness and efficiency of the Health and Human Service Commission's eligibility system. Include a review of staffing levels and staffing distribution; implementation of Rider 61; and the increased demand on the system. Make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system, focusing on policy changes that will not create a large financial burden for the state.
4.	Study and make recommendations on the state's role for facilitating the exchange of health care information in the future, including using the Medicaid exchange as a framework for the statewide exchange of health information between health care providers to improve quality of care; what information the state should provide; how to use this information to improve care management, prevent medical errors, and reduce unnecessary services; and policies and statutory changes needed to ensure that privacy is protected. Study the feasibility of developing multiple regional health information technology exchanges in Texas.
5.	Study the state's current and long-range need for physicians, nurses, dentists and other allied health and long-term care professionals. Provide recommendations for ensuring sufficient numbers of health care professionals, focusing on medically underserved and rural areas of the state as well as the Border region. Consider health care delivered by Advanced Practice Nurses in terms of access, cost and patient safety and include an assessment of independent prescriptive authority with those states in which prescriptive authority is delegated by a physician. Make recommendations to enhance the efficient use of Advanced Practice Nurses in Texas.
6.	Explore strategies to support the needs of aging Texans, including best practices in nursing home diversion, expediting access to community services, and programs to assist seniors and their families in navigating the long-term care system with the goal of helping seniors remain in the community. Study the guardianship program implemented by the Department of Aging and Disabilities and the Department of Adult Protective Services, including the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, the relationship between the two agencies, the appropriate rights for parents, and whether clients and their assets are adequately protected to ensure the state is appropriately identifying seniors in need of protection.
7.	Examine how the state could enact policies to improve the overall health of Texans, focusing on programs that compliment individually-based prevention with community­based prevention to reduce obesity rates by increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and improving self-management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Examine obesity-related health disparities between different ethnic groups and ways to narrow these gaps. Consider the fiscal and health impact of second-hand smoke on businesses and service sector employees. Study state-level initiatives to incorporate these individual and community-based prevention strategies, including initiatives pursued in other states.
8.	Study the state's ability to appropriately respond to the H1N1 influenza pandemic by examining issues related to vaccine distribution and capacity. Consider the benefit of providing the state's independent school districts and various health authorities with standardized protocols for issues including, but not limited to, vaccine administration, absenteeism and the cancellation of school and other school-related events. Assess the state's ability to track and record H1N1 vaccinations through the ImmTrac registry, and review statutes governing ImmTrac to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of immunization information systems.
9.	Study current state health care quality improvement initiatives in Texas, including statewide health care-associated infection and adverse event reporting, reimbursement reductions in the Texas Medicaid program for preventable adverse events, potentially preventable readmissions identification, health information technology implementation, pay-far-performance programs, and other initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency, safety, and quality of health care in Texas. Identify statutory changes that may build upon efforts to improve quality of care and contain health care costs in Texas. Study policies that encourage and facilitate the use of best practices by health care providers including the best way to report and distribute information on quality of care and the use of best practices to the public and to promote health care provider and payment incentives that will encourage the use of best practices. The study/recommendations could also include assessing the best way to bring provider groups together to increase quality of care, the use of best practices, and reduce unnecessary services.
10.	Study current practices of the Texas Medical Board relating to disclosure of complaints.
11.	Review the types of human stem cell and human cloning research being conducted, funded, or supported by state agencies, including institutions of higher education. Make recommendations for appropriate data collection and funding protocols.
12.	Review the Medicaid HCBS waivers (CBA, STAR Plus, CLASS, MDCP, DBMT, TxHmL) and develop recommendations to assure that people with significant disabilities, regardless of disability label or age, receive needed services to remain in or transition to the community. Review should look at the delivery system, eligibility, service packages, rate structures, workforce issues and funding caps. Examine options for the provision of services for children aging out of the Medicaid system. Make recommendations for streamlining/combining these waivers, ensuring that these waivers are cost effective or create cost savings, and developing policies that contain costs in an effort to increase access to these services. The review should examine other states' community care waivers and provide recommendations relating to efforts that have been successful in other states.
13.	Study the type, duration, frequency and effectiveness of mental health services available to and accessed by abused and neglected Texas children. Recommend strategies to address the impact of the trauma, and enhance therapeutic services available to this population in an effort to eliminate the cycle of abuse and neglect.
14.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, 81st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Monitor Department of Family and Protective Services' implementation of the U.S. Fostering Connections Act, including the new Kinship Care program. Include recommendations on how to optimize the use of monetary assistance to qualified relative caregivers. Monitor the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) implementation of SB 643, relating to Texas' state-supported living centers (SSLCs), implementation of Special Provisions relating to All Health and Human Services Agencies, Section 48. Contingency Appropriation for the Reshaping of the System for Providing Services to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, and implementation of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Settlement Agreement terms.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Human Services, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2010 : a report to the House of Representatives, 82nd Texas Legislature
Subjects:	Child custody | Child Protective Services | Food stamps | Foster care | Long-term care | Mentally disabled persons | Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System |
Library Call Number:	L1836.81 H88
Session:	81st R.S. (2009)
Online version:	View report [173 pages  File size: 3,666 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Monitor the implementation of the Department of Justice settlement agreement, SB 643, 81st R.S., and other reforms to services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
2.	Monitor the implementation of provisions in SB 2080, 81st R.S., relating to the creation of a permanency assistance program. Evaluate and make recommendations about the foster care licensing process for relatives, the payment structure for a relative who becomes a child's permanent managing conservator, and any factors that should be considered in evaluating program performance and sustainability in the future.
3.	Determine the feasibility of instituting a comprehensive, single point of entry system to simplify and expedite the process of accessing long-term care services for the elderly and individuals with physical disabilities.
4.	Monitor the Health and Human Services Commission's progress toward improving the timeliness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility determinations. Evaluate the impact of corrective measures already taken by the commission.
5.	Analyze the practice of using informal or voluntary caregivers ("parental child safety placements") during a Child Protective Services investigation. Study and make recommendations regarding: a) efforts to track data related to parental child safety placements; b) incorporation of the power of attorney process authorized by SB 1598, 81st R.S.; c) appropriateness of voluntary placement; d) review of caregiver qualifications; and e) potential improvements to the voluntary placement process.
6.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee:	Senate Health and Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	Interim report to the 81st Legislature
Subjects:	Adoption | Aging and Disability Services, Texas Department of | Asthma | Caseworkers | Child abuse prevention | Child Protective Services | Disease management | Disease preparedness | Disease prevention | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Family Based Safety Services | Family preservation | Foster care | Health care providers | Health Enterprise Zones | Health insurance premium subsidies | Home health care services | Immunizations | Influenza | Medicaid | Medical errors | Medical reimbursements | Medically uninsured | Mental health services | Mentally disabled persons | Nursing homes | Obesity | Persons with disabilities | Preparation for Adult Living | Rural health care | Services for persons with disabilities | Smoking bans | State supported living centers | Stem cell research | Umbilical cord blood |
Library Call Number:	L1836.80 H349
Session:	80th R.S. (2007)
Online version:	View report [379 pages  File size: 16,580 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Monitor the Department of Aging and Disability Services' improvement plan for the system of care for individuals with developmental disabilities, focusing on efforts to improve state schools and provide more community care options. Evaluate the process for preventing, reporting, and investigating abuse and neglect in state schools, ICF/MRs and the Home and Community-Based Services (HCS) program. Determine the short-term and long-term financial impact of increasing the number of individuals served in home or community locations and the financial impact this shift has on state schools. Monitor the department's efforts to convert institutions to community care providers through the money-follows-the-person program designed to improve access to community care services. Specifically make recommendations on: how to further improve the system of care for individuals with developmental disabilities; preventing, reporting, and investigating abuse and neglect; developing a transition plan for reducing waiting list for community care service; incentives for converting institutions into community care providers; and a long term plan to address issues that result from the current federal Department of Justice investigation.
2.	Study and make recommendations related to creating an outcome-based reimbursement model in Texas' Medicaid program as a way to improve quality of care, reduce medical errors, and create cost savings. Develop a pilot health care program that pays for best practices, rather than only paying for actual procedures performed. Examine the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) efforts to create an outcome-based system in the Medicare payment system that sanctions serious, preventable medical errors. Examine Pennsylvania's efforts to implement a similar outcome-based reimbursement model to make providers more vigilant about patient care, encourage best practices, and reduce costs in their Medicaid program. If necessary, examine other health care coverage models that have successfully incorporated an outcome-based reimbursement system. Consider pay-for-performance, options that reward good outcomes and the use of best practices, and changes to the reimbursement system that will reduce serious preventable medical errors and hospital acquired infections.
3.	Study the effectiveness of the Resiliency and Disease Management (RDM) program in the mental health service delivery system, implementation of changes to the crisis care program, and recommendations for appropriate use of the mental health transformation grant. Identify strategies to increase access to services and meet future demand for services. Examine resource allocation and opportunities to maximize funding. Policy recommendations should maximize the number of inpatient psychiatric acute care beds, enhance access to outpatient services, promote the use of recovery-based services, and enhance access to community-based services.
4.	Monitor the implementation of the Department of Family and Protective Services’ improvement plan to reduce caseloads for Child Protective Service caseworkers, and to provide family-based safety services and ongoing substitute care services. Evaluate the efficiency of Child Protective Services "functional units," and determine if other organizational models would allow for a reduction in caseworkers' caseloads, without increasing other administrative costs. Develop recommendations aimed at lowering individual caseloads, making casework more efficient, and improving the retention of caseworkers. Assess the viability of caseworker reimbursement as a manner to lower caseworker turnover.
5.	Monitor the implementation of the Department of Family and Protective Services' plan to stabilize the foster care system and increase permanency options for children. Study placement capacity to determine how Child Protective Services can better develop the necessary adoptions or foster homes to meet the needs of children and families by increasing foster care capacity, recruiting and retaining more foster and adoptive parents, increasing the use of relative care, and developing best practices for reducing foster care placement breakdowns. This includes studying innovative ways to promote adoption and kinship care in Texas and best practices for foster/adoptive parents to improve their ability to care for abused and neglected children. Explore potential improvements and enhancements in the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program to increase successful transitioning from foster care to adult living. Study current death review processes for children who die while in state care.
6.	Examine Texas' current strategies for preventing child abuse. Specifically study the effectiveness of current programs and how these programs compare to other state efforts. Identify national research-based solutions, including best practices and programs addressing sexual abuse. Explore promising existing and emerging approaches to child abuse and neglect prevention, especially those with a strong evidence base. Identify additional funding sources for increased child abuse prevention activities by the state.
7.	Study the changes in statute contained in SB 10, 80th R.S., as well as the state's current prevention and wellness efforts and chronic care management efforts, and identify opportunities for improvement in state policies and programs. Examine options for expanding and optimizing the state's current investment in wellness programs and management tools for individuals with chronic care conditions, including options that address childhood asthma. Review partnerships with the private sector that specifically address the following: tobacco cessation, including the evaluation of a statewide smoking ban in public places; reducing obesity; availability and effectiveness of childhood and adult vaccines, including public education programs to promote the use of vaccines; and more effective management of chronic care conditions.
8.	Study the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing homes and home-based solutions/home care in Texas, and make recommendations to improve nursing homes and their funding. Identify and study successful nursing home funding models established by other states. Consider ways to fund infrastructure for nursing and therapists and home care. Examine the possibility of an incentive-based “pay for performance” rate plan for nursing facilities and consider factors that it could be based on, taking into account similar plans implemented in other states. Make recommendations on how best to use Medicaid to fund skilled nursing and home health care in Texas. Explore options for improving graduation rates for nurses in Texas.
9.	Study and address ethical issues surrounding the impact of a pandemic influenza in this state, particularly focusing on the following: the availability of human and material resources; the benefits and burdens of mass vaccination plans; the involvement of private sector professional organizations and businesses in the state's pandemic influenza preparedness and response plans; and development and implementation of communication plans that will inform and prepare the public on risk reduction behaviors and local/state preparedness and response.
10.	Study the potential for development of Health Enterprise Zones, which could offer tax incentives to medical providers who locate within the boundaries of designated medically underserved areas. Analyze similar legislation enacted in other states, specifically New Jersey, and estimate costs and benefits. Consider expanding incentives to medically related industries such as medical research facilities, laboratories and equipment manufacturers in order to spur economic development.
11.	Monitor the collection and availability of cord blood stem cells for treatments and research in Texas. Review the current state of basic and clinical research using these and other types of adult stem cells. Assess the potential for clinical and economic benefits from current and increased adult stem cell research.
12.	Review Medicaid provider reimbursement rate methodologies, including the impact of factors such as infrastructure concerns, federal minimum wage changes, and cost reports. Study the impact on access to care, quality of care, and value, and make recommendations for legislative changes, taking into account rate increases contained in the current budget. (Joint charge with Senate Finance Committee)
13.	Study the state's current and long-range need for physicians, dentists, nurses, and other allied health and long-term care professionals. Make recommendations on how the state can help recruit high-need professions, especially for primary care providers and long-term care professionals in the underserved regions of Texas. (Joint charge with the Senate Committee on International Relations and Trade)
14.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Health and Human Services Committee, 80th R.S., and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, report on the implementation of SB 10, 80th R.S., to ensure meaningful improvement in access to quality care in the Texas Medicaid program, focusing on how to cover more uninsured in Texas with market-based plans or premium assistance for employer health plans, and monitor the creation of the Texas Cancer Research and Prevention Institute.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Human Services, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2008 : a report to the House of Representatives, 81st Texas Legislat
Subjects:	Adoption | Child abuse | Child abuse prevention | Child Protective Services | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Foster care | Long-term care | Nursing homes | Senior citizens | Services for persons with disabilities | Terminal care |
Library Call Number:	L1836.80 H88
Session:	80th R.S. (2007)
Online version:	View report [186 pages  File size: 21,784 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Research strategies to promote permanency and stability for children and families involved with Child Protective Services. Identify any priorities that would approve the adoption process.
2.	Explore strategies to support the needs of aging Texans effectively and efficiently. This investigation should include best practices in delaying or avoiding the need for institutionalized care as well as promoting high-quality services for those who are best served in nursing homes.
3.	Evaluate Prevention and Early Intervention programs at the Department of Family and Protective Services that have been funded by the Texas Legislature for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Consider if higher priority for selection should be given to child or family mentoring or other support services, such as foster grandparents and efforts to assist mothers.
4.	Evaluate existing and part efforts by the state for Youth Transitions in Independent Living. Recommend improvements to educational, occupational, health, and life skills components of preparation of foster children for adult living.
5.	Investigate the need and potential of respite care programs to delay or avoit institutional placements, thereby resulting in cost savings for the state.
6.	Examine compliance issues and concerns of hospices with certification surveys and ability to meet federal standards.
7.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Human Services, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2006 : a report to the House of Representatives, 80th Texas Legislature
Subjects:	Aging and Disability Services, Texas Department of | Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Texas Department of | Call centers | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Food stamps | Foster care | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Mental health services | Privatization |
Library Call Number:	L1836.79 H88
Session:	79th R.S. (2005)
Online version:	View report [59 pages  File size: 6,948 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine ways foster care provides, or does not provide, preparation for adult living to foster children. Review programs other states have adopted to enhance the likelihood that foster care alumni will complete a secondary education or maintain trade skills learned while in foster care. Examine the correlation between the school drop-out pattern, job maintenance and poverty, and foster care preparation programs for adult living.
2.	Study the effectiveness, efficiency and funding mechanisms of mental health and mental retardation services. Identify and study best practices in crisis intervention, residential treatment and aftercare. Identify and study successful mental health services delivery models established by other states.
3.	Monitor how changes in the Food Stamp Program at the federal level affect participation in Texas, including proposed changes in the 2006 Federal Farm Bill.
4.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.
Committee:	House Child Welfare and Foster Care, Select, Interim
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care, Select, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2004 : a report to the House of Representatives, 79th Texas Legislatu
Subjects:	Adoption | Child abuse | Child Protective Services | Family and Protective Services, Texas Department of | Foster care | Residential treatment centers | Therapeutic wilderness programs |
Library Call Number:	L1836.78 C437
Session:	78th R.S. (2003)
Online version:	View report [256 pages  File size: 3,474 kb]
Charge:	This report should address the charge below.
1.	Examine the current child welfare and foster care system in Texas, with an emphasis on the following: (1) Determine barriers to adoption, specific to minority children, in foster care. Determine activities that will increase the recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minority families as foster care providers. (2) Evaluate means by which the state may promote substitute care with relatives of a child who is removed from the home by Child Protective Services. (3) Review the licensure requirements for and the performance of all types of foster care facilities, including residential treatment facilities, wilderness camps and emergency treatment centers. Assess the adequacy of communication and interaction between the licensing agency and other state agencies that place children within the foster care and Child Protective Care system. Explore other state's efforts that will promote "best practices" and identify program efficiencies with Texas child welfare system.
Committee:	House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues
Title:	Interim report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 1998 : a report to the House of Representatives, 76th Texas Legislature.
Subjects:	Adoption | At-risk youth | Attorney General Child Support Division | Child support | Crime prevention | Foster care | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Paternity | Progressive sanctions (Criminal justice) | Protective and Regulatory Services, Texas Department of | Services to Runaways and At-Risk Youth Program | Texas Child Support Enforcement System | Youth Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number:	L1836.75 j987
Session:	75th R.S. (1997)
Online version:	View report [41 pages  File size: 1,866 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Review the progressive sanctions and diversion programs and assess whether they are achieving desired results.
2.	Actively monitor programs for at-risk youth, including the STARS Program and Community Youth Development Grants.
3.	Monitor the implementation of the TXCSES automated system to aid child support enforcement.
4.	Conduct active oversight of agencies and programs under the jurisdiction of the committee, including implementation of the Birth Father Registry and Voluntary Adoption Registry (see HB 1091, 75th R.S., and SB 34, 75th R.S.), and the new timetables for foster care placements by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
Committee:	House Human Services
Title:	Interim report - Vol 1
Library Catalog Title:	Interim report, 1992 : a report to the House of Representatives, 73rd Legislature / Committee on Human Services, Texas House of Representatives.
Subjects:	Child abuse | Child Protective Services | Children with disabilities | Emergency medical services | Foster care | Hospital emergency rooms | Inmate health | Medicaid | Mental health services | Mentally disabled persons | Mentally ill persons | Nursing homes | Persons with disabilities | Protective and Regulatory Services, Texas Department of | Quality of care | Services for persons with disabilities | Trauma centers | Women's health |
Library Call Number:	L1836.72 h88 1
Session:	72nd R.S. (1991)
Online version:	View report [370 pages  File size: 18,729 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the implementation of the Pre-admissions Screening and Annual Resident Review (PASAAR) (OBRA '87 mandate) including the areas of program design, Alternate Disposition Plan (ADP), accountability, and residents' rights and training.
2.	Monitor child protective services in the proposed structure of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services including criteria used in "priority" classifications and intervention methods and response time per classification; services provided to children over the age of 10 and to special needs children; value of family preservation services; and problems associated with abuse or neglected children in one-parent homes.
3.	Study health care in women's correctional facilities.
4.	Monitor and Coordinate with the Texas Health Policy Task Force as it relates to trauma care in Texas.

* This represents an abstract of the report contents. Charge text is incomplete or unavailable.

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