Bill Text: TX SB2223 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing pilot program to offer assistance for older adults diagnosed with severe vision loss.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-03 - Co-author authorized [SB2223 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB2223-Introduced.html
By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 2223 | |
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relating to establishing pilot program to offer assistance for | ||
older adults diagnosed with severe vision loss. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Sec. 117.080, Human Resources Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) The department shall ensure that all services provided | ||
under the independent living services program that the department | ||
operates under Title VII of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 | ||
(29 U.S.C. Section 796 et seq.) are directly provided by centers for | ||
independent living, except as provided by Subsection (b), and are | ||
not directly provided by the department. | ||
(b) If an area of the state does not have a center for | ||
independent living, or no center for independent living in that | ||
area is able to provide certain necessary services under the | ||
independent living services program, the department shall seek to | ||
identify a center for independent living that is willing and able to | ||
contract with a nonprofit organization or other person to provide | ||
the independent living services in the area under the program. If | ||
no center for independent living is willing and able to contract | ||
with another organization or other person, the department may | ||
directly contract with an organization or other person who is not a | ||
center for independent living to provide the independent living | ||
services in the area under the program. | ||
(c) The department shall evaluate the independent living | ||
services provided by a center for independent living and shall | ||
provide necessary training or technical assistance to help the | ||
center for independent living expand its capacity to provide a full | ||
range of independent living services. | ||
(1) In the department review, the department shall | ||
establish major cities who have the ability to offer day-time | ||
classes teaching independent living skills. These major | ||
cities may establish a pilot program to conduct these classes | ||
for older adults diagnosed with severe vision loss. | ||
(d) The department shall monitor the performance of each | ||
center for independent living in providing independent living | ||
services, including how the center for independent living monitors | ||
the performance of the organizations and other persons with whom it | ||
contracts to provide independent living services. | ||
(e) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to | ||
implement this section that include: | ||
(1) an equitable and transparent methodology for | ||
allocating funds to centers for independent living under the | ||
independent living services program; | ||
(2) requirements applicable to the department in | ||
contracting with centers for independent living to provide | ||
independent living services under the program; | ||
(3) requirements applicable to centers for | ||
independent living in contracting with organizations and other | ||
persons to provide independent living services under the program; | ||
(4) requirements applicable to the department in | ||
contracting with organizations or other persons who are not centers | ||
for independent living to provide independent living services under | ||
the program; | ||
(5) a process for the department to monitor | ||
independent living services contracts; | ||
(6) guidelines on the department's role in providing | ||
technical assistance and training to centers for independent living | ||
as necessary; and | ||
(7) expectations for department employees to refer | ||
persons who contact the department seeking independent living | ||
services to centers for independent living. | ||
SECTION 2. This act takes effect September 1, 2023. |