HHS Transformation

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is asking for comments on a proposed new advisory committee structure.

In response to Sunset legislation approved during the most recent legislative session, HHSC conducted a comprehensive analysis of 132 existing advisory committees. This analysis, along with stakeholder input, will be used by the Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner in determining the future advisory committee structure.

Review the analysis online here [or below] and submit comments before September 25, 2015.

HHS Advisory Committees

The 84th Texas Legislature directed HHSC to evaluate and re-establish in rule, advisory committees that address the following issues:

• Medicaid and other social services programs
• Managed care under Medicaid and the child health plan program
• Health care quality initiatives
• Aging
• Persons with disabilities, including persons with autism
• Rehabilitation, including for persons with brain injuries
• Children
• Public health;
• Behavioral health
• Regulatory matters
• Protective services
• Prevention efforts

As part of the agency’s legislative implementation process, an HHSC workgroup comprised of staff from each of the five health and human services agencies conducted a comprehensive inventory of the 132 existing advisory committees. The inventory looked at the following criteria for each committee:

• Purpose and scope of the committee
• Statutory and/or Texas Administrative Code authority
• Existence of committee by-laws
• Expiration date of the committee, if any
• Existence of an external website
• Number of members
• Committee status (active within past 12 months)
• Committee charge  (time-limited responsibilities or  ongoing)
• Methods of public input
• Application of committee’s recommendations
• Identification of stakeholders
• Identification of duplicate functions or topics among other existing committees
• Frequency of membership and chairmanship turnover
• Agenda item description (action versus informational items)
• Estimated attendance of public at meetings

Based on this inventory, the workgroup prepared a summary of findings and a proposal, which Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Chris Traylor will use, along with stakeholder input, to determine the future advisory committee structure.

Anyone who would like to submit comments on the advisory committee summary and proposal can do so during a three-week period beginning September 4, 2015. Email comments to HHSAdvisoryCommittees@hhsc.state.tx.us.