By:  Nelson                                           S.B. No. 1102
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the eligibility to receive indigent health care
    1-2  benefits.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 61.008 (a) of the Health and Safety Code
    1-5  is amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 61.008.  Eligibility Rules.  (a)  The department by rule
    1-7  shall provide that in determining eligibility:
    1-8              (1)  a county may not consider the value of the
    1-9  applicant's homestead;
   1-10              (2)  a county must consider the equity value of a car
   1-11  that is in excess of the amount exempted under department
   1-12  guidelines as a resource;
   1-13              (3)  a county must subtract the work-related and child
   1-14  care expense allowance allowed under department guidelines;
   1-15              (4)  a county must consider as a resource real property
   1-16  other than a homestead and, except as provided by Subsection (b),
   1-17  must count that property in determining eligibility; <and>
   1-18              (5)  if an applicant transferred title to real property
   1-19  for less than market value to become eligible for assistance under
   1-20  this chapter, the county may not credit toward eligibility for
   1-21  state assistance an expenditure for that applicant made during a
   1-22  two-year period beginning on the date on which the property is
   1-23  transferred; and<.>
    2-1              (6)  a county must consider all education assistance
    2-2  payments as unearned income.
    2-3        (b)  A county may disregard the applicant's real property if
    2-4  the applicant agrees to an enforceable obligation to reimburse the
    2-5  county for all or part of the benefits received under this chapter.
    2-6  The county and the applicant may negotiate the terms of the
    2-7  obligation.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-9        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-10  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-11  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-12  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-13  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.