By Turner of Harris                                   H.B. No. 1873
       74R6662 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to Medicaid  coverage of certain prescription drugs.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended
    1-5  by adding Subsection (t) to read as follows:
    1-6        (t)  The Texas Department of Health, in its rules and
    1-7  standards governing the vendor drug program, shall include in the
    1-8  list of drugs covered by the program a drug that the Federal Drug
    1-9  Administration has designated as a "Treatment Investigational New
   1-10  Drug" (TIND) and that is specified for the relief of symptoms of
   1-11  human immunodeficiency virus infection or acquired immune
   1-12  deficiency syndrome.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  If before implementing Section 32.024(t), Human
   1-14  Resources Code, as added by this Act, the Texas Department of
   1-15  Health determines that a waiver  or authorization from a federal
   1-16  agency is necessary for implementation, that department shall
   1-17  request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that
   1-18  section until the waiver or authorization is granted.
   1-19        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-20        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.