TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jennifer Yasumoto, Director Health and Human Services Agency
REPORT BY: Summer Isham, Contracts Supervisor
SUBJECT: Agreement No. 230095B with LexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign Agreement No. 230095B with LexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group, Inc. (LexisNexis), for a maximum amount not to exceed $20,000 for the term July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, to provide licenses for prescribed people searches for use in multiple divisions within HHSA to obtain necessary information in accordance with program mandates.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of today’s action will allow the continued provision of licenses for users in HHSA Public Health, Public Guardian/ Public Authority units, Fiscal, Child Welfare Services, and Quality Management Divisions to conduct prescribed searches to locate individuals for various program purposes. This Agreement has a one-year term beginning July 1, 2022, for a maximum amount not to exceed $20,000, with flexibility to provide for additional users and searches.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Health and Human Services Agency, Administration; Public Health; Comprehensive Services for Older Adults; and Child Welfare Services |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The requested action is discretionary in that it is not mandatory, however, these services are critical to agency functions. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
None, this agreement terminates June 30, 2023. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If this agreement is not approved, multiple divisions would be unable to locate individuals for program purposes. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Effective and Open Government |
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Additional Information |
None. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
HHSA requires an efficient means of obtaining information regarding clients for a variety of programs. One of the more popular search engine products utilized by other agencies and law enforcement is “Accurint,” a division of the LexisNexis legal research company. Accurint provides access to information including phone numbers, addresses, professional licensing, assets, relatives to the third degree, and death records.
Examples of how HHSA uses this service are as follows:
• During a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), lists of persons on power-dependent durable medical equipment are obtained from the federal Health and Human Services emPOWER program, which is a database from the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare Services containing a list of client addresses that are not linked to personal phone numbers. Public Health previously relied on law enforcement to identify phone numbers using background checks. Phone numbers identified using Accurint's services are more cost effective and less staff intensive.
• The Public Guardian/ Public Authority units must perform searches for next of kin and help with notification of decedent cases. They field requests from mortuaries who are receiving decedents from multiple sources, including Queen of the Valley hospital and the Veterans Home.
• Child Welfare Services must perform searches to locate biological parents of children going through the adoption process, to locate relatives when children enter the foster care system, or to identify information regarding relatives to comply with Indian Child Welfare Act noticing requirements.
• Medical Records and Fiscal often need to disambiguate client records to ensure billing, service documentation, and client information is applied to the correct record. Often there is client duplication and a reliable system is needed to confirm identity.
This agreement allows for 14 licenses at $86.00 per user per month, resulting in a minimum amount of $1,204 per month ($14,448 per year). The contract maximum amount not to exceed $20,000 will allow for the possibility of additional users which may be added at the same rate of $86.00 per user and will allow for searches that fall outside of the standard features, carrying an additional per search charge.