By Cuellar of Webb, Berlanga, Maxey, Coleman           H.B. No. 997
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to health insurance coverage for children who are
    1-3  ineligible for Medicaid or who do not have access to private health
    1-4  insurance.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Department of
    1-7  Health shall establish a pilot program to provide primary care
    1-8  health insurance coverage for children younger than 13 years of age
    1-9  who are ineligible for medical assistance under the state's
   1-10  Medicaid program.
   1-11        (b)  The department may provide this program through local
   1-12  public schools and may use the Florida "Healthy Kids Corporation"
   1-13  as a model.
   1-14        (c)  The department by rule shall:
   1-15              (1)  prescribe eligibility criteria; and
   1-16              (2)  set a sliding fee scale based on a family's
   1-17  income.
   1-18        (d)  The department shall report to the governor and the 74th
   1-19  and 75th legislatures regarding the program's success.
   1-20        (e)  The department shall implement and determine eligibility
   1-21  for the pilot program through Texas Department of Human Services
   1-22  eligibility offices.
   1-23        (f)  The state Medicaid program is authorized to develop a
   1-24  waiver for a pilot program in one area of the state that would
    2-1  provide access to health insurance for children whose parents do
    2-2  not have access to private health insurance by using existing
    2-3  federal, state, or local funds as well as private funds.  The pilot
    2-4  program shall include sliding scale cost-sharing by the family, to
    2-5  the extent possible, and shall not include any new state funds.
    2-6  The state Medicaid office is encouraged to explore methods to
    2-7  partner with private insurers to market and manage the program.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATES; WAIVER.  (a)
    2-9  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-10        (b)  This Act expires September 1, 1999.
   2-11        (c)  If before implementing Section 1 of this Act, the Texas
   2-12  Department of Health determines that a waiver or authorization from
   2-13  a federal agency is necessary for implementation, the department
   2-14  shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay
   2-15  implementing this Act until the waiver or authorization is granted.
   2-16        SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   2-17  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.