By Maxey                                         H.B. No. 460

      75R3474 DLF-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to federal waivers or authorizations relating to certain

 1-3     federally funded long-term care Medicaid programs.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Not later than January 15, 1999, the Commissioner

 1-6     of Health and Human Services shall report to the legislature on the

 1-7     feasibility and advisability of replacing all or several of the

 1-8     waivers or authorizations that this state has obtained with respect

 1-9     to administration of federally funded Medicaid programs supporting

1-10     long-term care services at the Texas Department of Human Services,

1-11     the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the

1-12     Texas Rehabilitation Commission, and the Texas Department of Health

1-13     with a single waiver or authorization to minimize administrative

1-14     duplication, maximize the services provided, and provide

1-15     flexibility to the state in determining the appropriate combination

1-16     of services to be provided to each individual based on that

1-17     individual's needs.  In making this report, the commissioner shall

1-18     consider the waivers or authorizations obtained with respect to:

1-19                 (1)  the community-based alternatives program

1-20     administered by the Texas Department of Human Services;

1-21                 (2)  the community living assistance support and

1-22     services program administered by the Texas Department of Human

1-23     Services;

1-24                 (3)  the home and community services program and the

 2-1     home and community services program under the Omnibus Budget

 2-2     Reconciliation Act (OBRA), P.L. 100-203, Nursing Home Reform

 2-3     Amendments of 1987, administered by the Texas Department of Mental

 2-4     Health and Mental Retardation;

 2-5                 (4)  the deaf and blind services program administered

 2-6     by the Texas Rehabilitation Commission; and

 2-7                 (5)  the medically dependent children program

 2-8     administered by the Texas Department of Health.

 2-9           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-15     passage, and it is so enacted.