Sec. 531.0312. TEXAS INFORMATION AND REFERRAL NETWORK. (a) The Texas Information and Referral Network at the commission is the program responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of a statewide information and referral network that integrates existing community-based structures with state and local agencies. The network must:

(1) include information relating to transportation services provided to clients of state and local agencies;

(2) be capable of assisting with statewide disaster response and emergency management, including through the use of interstate agreements with out-of-state call centers to ensure preparedness and responsiveness;

(3) include technology capable of communicating with clients of state and local agencies using electronic text messaging; and

(4) include a publicly accessible Internet-based system to provide real-time, searchable data about the location and number of clients of state and local agencies using the system and the types of requests made by the clients.

(b) The commission shall cooperate with the Records Management Interagency Coordinating Council and the comptroller to establish a single method of categorizing information about health and human services to be used by the Records Management Interagency Coordinating Council and the Texas Information and Referral Network. The network, in cooperation with the council and the comptroller, shall ensure that:

(1) information relating to health and human services is included in each residential telephone directory published by a for-profit publisher and distributed to the public at minimal or no cost; and

(2) the single method of categorizing information about health and human services is used in a residential telephone directory described by Subdivision (1).

(c) A health and human services agency or a public or private entity receiving state-appropriated funds to provide health and human services shall provide the Texas Information and Referral Network and the Records Management Interagency Coordinating Council with information about the health and human services provided by the agency or entity for inclusion in the statewide information and referral network, residential telephone directories described by Subsection (b), and any other materials produced under the direction of the network or the council. The agency or entity shall provide the information in the format required by the Texas Information and Referral Network or the Records Management Interagency Coordinating Council and shall update the information at least quarterly or as required by the network or the council.

(d) The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs shall provide the Texas Information and Referral Network with information regarding the department's housing and community affairs programs for inclusion in the statewide information and referral network. The department shall provide the information in a form determined by the commission and shall update the information at least quarterly.

(e) Each local workforce development board, the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office, and each school district shall provide the Texas Information and Referral Network with information regarding eligibility for and availability of child-care and education services for inclusion in the statewide information and referral network. The local workforce development boards, Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office, and school districts shall provide the information in a form determined by the executive commissioner. In this subsection, "child-care and education services" has the meaning assigned by Section 531.03131.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 652, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 50, Sec. 1, eff. May 10, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1460, Sec. 3.05, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1367, Sec. 1.31, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1260 (H.B. 2048), Sec. 23(a), eff. June 18, 2005.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 937 (H.B. 3560), Sec. 1.60, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 2.074(a), eff. April 2, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 2.074(b), eff. April 2, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 2.074(c), eff. April 2, 2015.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1116 (H.B. 2325), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2019.