| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a public outreach and education campaign for |
|
|
mixed-status families regarding eligibility for Medicaid and the |
|
|
child health plan program. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 531.021483 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 531.021483. PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN FOR MIXED-STATUS |
|
|
FAMILIES ON MEDICAID AND CHILD HEALTH PLAN PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. |
|
|
(a) In this section, "mixed-status family" means a family in which |
|
|
one or more members is not a citizen or national of the United |
|
|
States and one or more members is a citizen or national of the |
|
|
United States. |
|
|
(b) The commission shall conduct a public outreach and |
|
|
education campaign designed to educate and inform mixed-status |
|
|
families about eligibility requirements under Medicaid and the |
|
|
child health plan program. The campaign must: |
|
|
(1) clearly explain the programs' eligibility |
|
|
requirements relating to residency and citizenship status, |
|
|
including the programs' eligibility requirements for citizens, |
|
|
qualified aliens, and lawful permanent residents; |
|
|
(2) inform individuals that a child's receipt of |
|
|
benefits under a program will not affect the immigration status of |
|
|
the child's parent; |
|
|
(3) be tailored to the population targeted by the |
|
|
campaign, including by providing information in English and Spanish |
|
|
or another language spoken by the majority of the targeted |
|
|
population; and |
|
|
(4) be disseminated through methods designed to reach |
|
|
the targeted population, including by: |
|
|
(A) distributing information and providing |
|
|
presentations at health fairs; and |
|
|
(B) working with relevant organizations or |
|
|
groups, including community clinics. |
|
|
(c) To support the campaign conducted under this section, |
|
|
the commission shall develop informational material about Medicaid |
|
|
and child health plan program eligibility criteria relating to |
|
|
residency and citizenship status that is: |
|
|
(1) up-to-date; |
|
|
(2) clear and easy to understand; and |
|
|
(3) made available in English and Spanish or another |
|
|
language spoken by the majority of a targeted population. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |