HBA-JEK S.B. 54 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 54 By: Zaffirini Human Services 4/4/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is no comprehensive listing of state programs serving children younger than six years of age. Senate Bill 54 requires agencies that provide health and human services to children under the age of six to report to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), and requires HHSC to recommend plans for improving coordination between the agencies. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of health and human services in SECTION 1 (Section 531.0244, Government Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 54 amends the Government Code to require the executive head of each health and human services agency to report annually to the governing body of that agency on that agency's efforts to provide health and human services to children under six years of age. The bill requires each agency to submit a copy of the report to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), and requires HHSC to prepare and deliver a biennial report on the efforts of the health and human services agencies to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the comptroller, the Legislative Budget Board, and the appropriate legislative committees beginning no later than September 1, 2002. The bill authorizes HHSC's report to contain recommendations on how to better coordinate state agency programs relating to the delivery of health and human services to children under the age of six and propose joint agency collaborative programs. S.B. 54 requires the commissioner of health and human services to adopt rules relating to the reports, including rules specifying when and in what manner a health and human services agency must report and the information to be included in the report. EFFECTIVE DATE The Act takes effect on the 91st day after adjournment.