HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 822 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 822
By: Maxey
Human Services
3/18/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



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.   

C.S.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, as presiding officer, three county representatives
appointed by the governor, three county representatives appointed by the
lieutenant governor, three county representatives appointed by the speaker
of the house of representatives, three county representatives appointed by
the comptroller, 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, 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) Requires the comptroller to serve as presiding officer of the task
force if the office of the commissioner of health and human services is
abolished. 

(f) Provides that this Act expires February 1, 2001.

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.
 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 822 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 by substituting
the commissioner of health and human services for the comptroller as
presiding officer of the task force; substituting "persons representing
counties" for "county officials" in the membership of the task force; and
deleting the Health and Human Services Commission from the list of agencies
represented on the task force and adding the Texas Workforce Commission.
C.S.H.B. 822 also adds a new Subsection (e) requiring the comptroller to
serve as presiding officer of the task force if the office of the
commissioner of health and human services is abolished. Redesignates
Subsection (e) from the original to Subsection (f) in the substitute.