By:  Longoria                                         H.B. No. 2472
       73R6119 CLG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to extending transitional Medicaid benefits to former
    1-3  recipients of AFDC benefits.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
    1-6  is amended by adding Section 32.0255 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 32.0255.  TRANSITIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.  (a)  The
    1-8  department shall provide medical assistance, in accordance with
    1-9  department rules and federal law, to a person who was receiving
   1-10  financial assistance under Chapter 31 but is no longer eligible to
   1-11  receive the financial assistance because the person's household
   1-12  income exceeds the department's 100 percent needs standard in an
   1-13  amount that totally disqualifies the person for financial
   1-14  assistance.
   1-15        (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the department may
   1-16  provide the medical assistance only until the first anniversary of
   1-17  the date on which the person's household income exceeds the
   1-18  department's 100 percent needs standard in an amount that totally
   1-19  disqualifies the person for financial assistance.
   1-20        (c)  If the person is employed, the department may continue
   1-21  to provide medical assistance after the date prescribed by
   1-22  Subsection (b), but only until the earlier of:
   1-23              (1)  the third anniversary of the date on which the
   1-24  person's household income exceeds the department's 100 percent
    2-1  needs standard in an amount that totally disqualifies the person
    2-2  for financial assistance;
    2-3              (2)  the date the person receives health insurance
    2-4  benefits for the person and the person's dependents as a part of
    2-5  the person's employment benefits; or
    2-6              (3)  the date the person is no longer employed.
    2-7        SECTION 2.  If before implementing Section 32.0255, Human
    2-8  Resources Code, as added by this Act, the Texas Department of Human
    2-9  Services determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal
   2-10  agency is necessary for implementation, the department shall
   2-11  request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that
   2-12  provision until the waiver or authorization is granted.
   2-13        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-14        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.