HBA-MPA H.B. 822 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 822 By: Maxey Human Services 5/25/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE All Texas counties are responsible for a number of functions such as administering county finances; recording vital statistics; holding elections; preserving law and order; administering justice through the courts; building and maintaining county roads; and providing health and welfare services. While county governments have similar basic responsibilities, their roles vary considerably, largely due to their relative population. Six Texas counties account for 40 percent of the state's population. Such highly populated, heavily urbanized counties require an extensive array of social services such as health and welfare programs, which simply are not necessary or feasible in smaller counties. These services are eligible for a variety of federal funding. H.B. 822 establishes a task force of state agencies and county representatives to identify and remedy problems in local government, and to determine how they might work together to ensure that counties receive the maximum federal reimbursement for the services they provide, so that local taxpayers aren't paying more than they should for these services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. (a) Provides for creation of a task force on federal reimbursement to counties, to be composed of the commissioner of health and human services (commissioner), as presiding officer, nine county representatives appointed by the commissioner and one representative from each of eight specified state agencies, appointed by its governing body. (b) Requires the task force to study the changes needed to increase reimbursement to county government; identify ways to increase the reimbursement the federal government pays for the indirect costs that counties incur in administering aid programs; and identify methods of training employees on ways to increase federal reimbursement. (c) Requires the task force to report on its findings to the 77th Legislature, the governor, and the comptroller not later than January 15, 2001. (d) Requires the state agencies represented on the task force to provide staff support to the task force. (e) Provides that this Act expires February 1, 2001. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.