SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

1999 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 502
Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of the Information and Referral Centers in the Commonwealth.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 5, 1999
Agreed to by the Senate, February 18, 1999

WHEREAS, Senate Joint Resolution No. 69 (1983) established a study committee to evaluate the establishment of a statewide information and referral system for human service programs; and

WHEREAS, this initial study recognized that a statewide information and referral system is a critical need in order to assure that citizens are linked to services offered by human service programs; and

WHEREAS, data collected from these centers have been useful for multiple purposes, including planning, identifying gaps in needed services, and assessing duplication of services within public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, in 1983 six information and referral centers already existed, which had inventoried human services in approximately 79 percent of the Commonwealth, and other concurrent studies supported the expansion of these centers to cover the entire state; and

WHEREAS, there have been many initiatives both on the state and federal level to promote such information services, but many expired or were hindered by the lack of funding or the expiration of enabling legislation; and

WHEREAS, based on the information provided at that time, the joint subcommittee recommended legislation that would establish information and referral networks in each of the health planning districts; and

WHEREAS, the proposal called for a three-tiered system consisting of a responsible state agency, an advisory council comprised of representatives from a variety of state agencies, and a regional system of information and referral service providers; and

WHEREAS, although information and referral systems have a financial impact, it was estimated at the time that those costs would be offset by the potential savings and cost avoidance; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission be directed to evaluate the effectiveness of the six regional Information and Referral Centers in the Commonwealth. The study shall include, but not be limited to, issues regarding the cost of maintaining such centers; whether the centers are cost efficient; whether the centers are serving all of the population in their health planning district in an efficacious manner; who is receiving services; the effectiveness of public dissemination of information; how much outreach is being conducted; and, whether any legislative changes are necessary to enable the program to work more efficiently.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Commission for this study, upon request.

The Commission shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2000 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.