By Cuellar of Webb, Berlanga, Maxey, Coleman           H.B. No. 997
       74R2781 MLR-D
                                 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.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Department of
    1-6  Health shall establish a pilot program to provide primary care
    1-7  health insurance coverage for children younger than 13 years of age
    1-8  who are ineligible for medical assistance under the state's
    1-9  Medicaid program.
   1-10        (b)  The department may provide this program through local
   1-11  public schools and may use the Florida "Healthy Kids Corporation"
   1-12  as a model.
   1-13        (c)  The department by rule shall:
   1-14              (1)  prescribe eligibility criteria; and
   1-15              (2)  set a sliding fee scale based on a family's
   1-16  income.
   1-17        (d)  The department shall report to the governor and the 74th
   1-18  and 75th legislatures regarding the program's success.
   1-19        SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATES; WAIVER.  (a)
   1-20  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-21        (b)  This Act expires September 1, 1999.
   1-22        (c)  If before implementing Section 1 of this Act, the Texas
   1-23  Department of Health determines that a waiver or authorization from
   1-24  a federal agency is necessary for implementation, the department
    2-1  shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay
    2-2  implementing this Act until the waiver or authorization is granted.
    2-3        SECTION 3. EMERGENCY.   The importance of this legislation
    2-4  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
    2-8                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
    2-9        Amend H.B. 997 to read as follows:
   2-10        On page 1, beginning at line 19, insert a new Subsection (e)
   2-11  as
   2-12        "(e)  The State Medicaid program is authorized to develop a
   2-13  waiver for a pilot program in one area of the state which would
   2-14  provide access to health insurance for children whose parents do
   2-15  not have access to private health insurance by using existing
   2-16  federal, state or local funds as well as private funds.  The pilot
   2-17  shall include sliding scale cost-sharing by the family, to the
   2-18  extent possible, and shall not include any new state funds.
   2-19                                                             Berlanga