By Longoria                                            H.B. No. 406
       74R2779 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 MEDICAID.  (a)  Medical
    1-8  assistance under the state Medicaid program shall be provided in
    1-9  accordance with federal law and state rules governing the program
   1-10  to a person who was receiving financial assistance under Chapter 31
   1-11  but is no longer eligible to receive the financial assistance
   1-12  because the person's household income exceeds the department's 100
   1-13  percent needs standard in an amount that totally disqualifies the
   1-14  person for financial assistance.
   1-15        (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the medical
   1-16  assistance may be provided to a person described by Subsection (a)
   1-17  only until the first anniversary of the date the person's household
   1-18  income exceeds the department's 100 percent needs standard in an
   1-19  amount that totally disqualifies the person for financial
   1-20  assistance.
   1-21        (c)  If the person is employed, medical assistance may
   1-22  continue to be provided after the date prescribed by Subsection
   1-23  (b), but only until the earliest of:
   1-24              (1)  the third anniversary of the date the person's
    2-1  household income exceeds the department's 100 percent needs
    2-2  standard in an amount that totally disqualifies the person for
    2-3  financial assistance;
    2-4              (2)  the date the person receives health insurance
    2-5  benefits for the person and the person's dependents as a part of
    2-6  the person's employment benefits; or
    2-7              (3)  the date the person is no longer employed.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  If before implementing Section 32.0255, Human
    2-9  Resources Code, as added by this Act, the state Medicaid office
   2-10  determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is
   2-11  necessary for implementation, the office shall request the waiver
   2-12  or authorization and may delay implementing that section until the
   2-13  waiver or authorization is granted.
   2-14        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-15        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.