By: Schwertner S.B. No. 2214 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to state fiscal matters related to health and human services and state agencies administering health and human services programs. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1.01. This article applies to any state agency that receives an appropriation under Article II of the General Appropriations Act and to any program administered by any of those agencies. SECTION 1.02. Notwithstanding any other statute of this state, each state agency to which this article applies is authorized to reduce or recover expenditures by: (1) consolidating any reports or publications the agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those reports or publications exclusively by electronic means; (2) extending the effective period of any license, permit, or registration the agency grants or administers; (3) entering into a contract with another governmental entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's duties; (4) adopting additional eligibility requirements consistent with federal law for persons who receive benefits under any law the agency administers to ensure that those benefits are received by the most deserving persons consistent with the purposes for which the benefits are provided, including under the following laws: (A) Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code (child health plan program); (B) Chapter 31, Human Resources Code (temporary assistance for needy families program); (C) Chapter 32, Human Resources Code (Medicaid program); (D) Chapter 33, Human Resources Code (supplemental nutrition assistance and other nutritional assistance programs); and (E) Chapter 533, Government Code (Medicaid managed care); (5) providing that any communication between the agency and another person and any document required to be delivered to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by e-mail or through the Internet; (6) adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions; and (7) modifying and streamlining processes used in: (A) the conduct of eligibility determinations for programs listed in Subdivision (4) of this subsection by or under the direction of the Health and Human Services Commission; (B) the provision of child and adult protective services by the Department of Family and Protective Services; (C) the provision of services for the aging and disabled by the Health and Human Services Commission; (D) the provision of services to children and other persons with disabilities by the Health and Human Services Commission; and (E) the provision or administration of other services provided or programs operated by the Health and Human Services Commission or a health and human services agency, as defined by Section 531.001, Government Code. ARTICLE 2. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES EMPLOYEES SECTION 2.01. An health and human services employee is not entitled to an amount from the state for expenses, per diem, travel, or salary that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the General Appropriations Act. SECTION 2.02. An health and human services employee is not entitled to an amount from the state for a salary, a salary supplement, office expenses or reimbursement of office expenses, or travel that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the General Appropriations Act. ARTICLE 3. REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES AND IMPOSITION OF CHARGES AND COST-SAVING MEASURES SPECIFICALLY Sec. 265.0042. COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the Health and Human Services Commission, on behalf of the department, shall enter into agreements with institutions of higher education to conduct efficacy reviews of any prevention and early intervention programs that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness through a scientific research evaluation process. (b) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall collaborate with an institution of higher education to create and track indicators of child well-being to determine the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention services. SECTION 3.03. If before implementing any provision of this article a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. Article 4. PILOT PROGRAM PROPOSALS AND RULES SECTION 4.01. The commissioner of each state agency to which this article applies may propose to the appropriate legislative committee pilot programs that could be tested to determine if the programs might produce long term fiscal benefits to the state. The commissioner may propose rules necessary to implement the pilot programs. Article 5. EFFECTIVE DATE SECTION 5.01. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.