1-1  By:  Cuellar of Webb, et al.                           H.B. No. 997
    1-2       (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)
    1-3        (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 1995;
    1-4  April 19, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
    1-5  and Human Services; May 3, 1995, reported favorably by the
    1-6  following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 3, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-7                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-8                                AN ACT
    1-9  relating to health insurance coverage for children who are
   1-10  ineligible for Medicaid or who do not have access to private health
   1-11  insurance.
   1-12        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-13        SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Department of
   1-14  Health shall establish a pilot program to provide primary care
   1-15  health insurance coverage for children younger than 13 years of age
   1-16  who are ineligible for medical assistance under the state's
   1-17  Medicaid program.
   1-18        (b)  The department may provide this program through local
   1-19  public schools and may use the Florida "Healthy Kids Corporation"
   1-20  as a model.
   1-21        (c)  The department by rule shall:
   1-22              (1)  prescribe eligibility criteria; and
   1-23              (2)  set a sliding fee scale based on a family's
   1-24  income.
   1-25        (d)  The department shall report to the governor and the 74th
   1-26  and 75th legislatures regarding the program's success.
   1-27        (e)  The department shall implement and determine eligibility
   1-28  for the pilot program through Texas Department of Human Services
   1-29  eligibility offices.
   1-30        (f)  The state Medicaid program is authorized to develop a
   1-31  waiver for a pilot program in one area of the state that would
   1-32  provide access to health insurance for children whose parents do
   1-33  not have access to private health insurance by using existing
   1-34  federal, state, or local funds as well as private funds.  The pilot
   1-35  program shall include sliding scale cost-sharing by the family, to
   1-36  the extent possible, and shall not include any new state funds.
   1-37  The state Medicaid office is encouraged to explore methods to
   1-38  partner with private insurers to market and manage the program.
   1-39        SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATES; WAIVER.  (a)
   1-40  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-41        (b)  This Act expires September 1, 1999.
   1-42        (c)  If before implementing Section 1 of this Act, the Texas
   1-43  Department of Health determines that a waiver or authorization from
   1-44  a federal agency is necessary for implementation, the department
   1-45  shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay
   1-46  implementing this Act until the waiver or authorization is granted.
   1-47        SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   1-48  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-49  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-50  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-51  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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