October 3, 2014 4:59 PM

Sunset Commission recommends consolidating HHSC into one agency

From 12 to 5, state agencies continue to lack common vision and goals

The time of reckoning has come for the overhaul of health and human services in Texas and it’s no surprise that the lofty goal of a one-stop shop for Texas needy individuals and families has yet to be fully realized.

On Friday, the Sunset Commission released its series of reports around the Health and Human Services Commission. The most obvious report to review immediately is the executive summary of the state’s reorganized health and human service agencies mixed marks for efficiency in its new configuration.

The vision of House Bill 2292, back in 2003, was to combine the state’s 12 health and human service agencies in a way that would increase efficiency, save money and provide better case management for families seeking multiple services across agencies. And, at the time of the floor debate, it was a lot about what tasks could be privatized and outsourced to contractors who could do the jobs better and cheaper.

The Sunset Commission report gives Health and Human Services, which was recombined into five agencies, a grade of incomplete. Its main recommendation would be to consolidate the existing five agencies into one so that functional lines can be clear, conflicting statutes can be reconciled and service to the public can be improved with a clearer voice and message.

By Kimberly Reeves