On December 10, the Sunset Advisory Commission met and approved the Sunset staff report for the Health and Human Services Commission. The report contained recommendations to make the enterprise more effective and efficient including changes to the agencies advisory councils, the Office of Inspector General, Texas’ women’s health programs and changes to make the Medicaid program run more smoothly.
The most significant and overarching recommended change was that the five health and human service system agencies should be consolidated into one entity. The report suggested that the retooled agency should then focus on seven divisions including medical and social services, state institutions and facilities, family and protective services, public health services, regulatory services, centralized services and the inspector general.
Along with the staff report, commission members also approved several modifications to recommendations. The modifications made changes to recommendations regarding statutory requirements of the agency transition, rulemaking deadlines, requirements of the Office of Inspector General and others.
Although the report was approved by the Sunset Commission, the recommendations must still be approved and passed as legislation after lawmakers convene in January for the changes to take effect.
