Sec. 531.063. CALL CENTERS

(a) The commission, by rule, shall establish at least one but not more than four call centers for purposes of determining and certifying or recertifying a person's eligibility and need for services related to the programs listed under Section 531.008(c), if cost-effective. The commission must conduct a public hearing before establishing the initial call center.

(b) The commission shall contract with at least one but not more than four private entities for the operation of call centers required by this section unless the commission determines that contracting would not be cost-effective.

(c) Each call center required by this section must be located in this state. This subsection does not prohibit a call center located in this state from processing overflow calls through a center located in another state.

(d) Each call center required by this section shall provide translation services as required by federal law for clients unable to speak, hear, or comprehend the English language.

(e) The commission shall develop consumer service and performance standards for the operation of each call center required by this section. The standards shall address a call center's:

(1) ability to serve its consumers in a timely manner, including consideration of the consumers' ability to access the call center, whether the call center has toll-free telephone access, the average amount of time a consumer spends on hold, the frequency of call transfers, whether a consumer is able to communicate with a live person at the call center, and whether the call center makes mail correspondence available;

(2) staff, including employee courtesy, friendliness, training, and knowledge about the programs listed under Section 531.008(c); and

(3) complaint handling procedures, including the level of difficulty involved in filing a complaint and whether the call center's complaint responses are timely.

(f) The commission shall make available to the public the standards developed under Subsection (e).

(g) The commission shall develop:

(1) mechanisms for measuring consumer service satisfaction; and

(2) performance measures to evaluate whether each call center meets the standards developed under Subsection (e).

(h) The commission may inspect each call center and analyze its consumer service performance through use of a consumer service evaluator who poses as a consumer of the call center.

(i) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the commissioner shall develop and implement policies that provide an applicant for services related to the programs listed under Section 531.008(c) with an opportunity to appear in person to establish initial eligibility or to comply with periodic eligibility recertification requirements if the applicant requests a personal interview. In implementing the policies, the commission shall maintain offices to serve applicants who request a personal interview. This subsection does not affect a law or rule that requires an applicant to appear in person to establish initial eligibility or to comply with periodic eligibility recertification requirements.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.06, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.