By Maxey                                        H.B. No. 2054

      75R3730 KEL-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the establishment of a joint nutritional case

 1-3     management pilot program to assist certain Medicaid clients.

 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 and the Texas Department of Human Services shall establish a

 1-7     joint nutritional case management pilot program designed to provide

 1-8     cost-effective medical services while improving the quality of

 1-9     client care.

1-10           (b)  In establishing the nutritional case management pilot

1-11     program, the departments:

1-12                 (1)  shall include at least 25 percent of all Medicaid

1-13     clients receiving intravenous or tube feeding services at home or

1-14     in other settings to be determined by the Texas Department of

1-15     Health; and

1-16                 (2)  shall use appropriate outside contractors and

1-17     university and other experts.

1-18           (c)  The Texas Department of Health shall select one or more

1-19     counties in which to establish the pilot program.

1-20           SECTION 2.  REPORT.  Not later than October 1, 1998, the

1-21     Texas Department of Health and the Texas Department of Human

1-22     Services shall submit to the governor and the 75th Legislature a

1-23     report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot program.

1-24           SECTION 3.  WAIVER.  If before implementing Section 1 of this

 2-1     Act the Texas Department of Health or the Texas Department of Human

 2-2     Services determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal

 2-3     agency is necessary for implementation, the appropriate department

 2-4     shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay

 2-5     implementing those provisions until the waiver or authorization is

 2-6     granted.

 2-7           SECTION 4.  DEADLINE.  Except as provided by Section 3 of

 2-8     this Act, the Texas Department of Health and the Texas Department

 2-9     of Human Services shall establish the pilot program required by

2-10     this Act not later than September 1, 1997.

2-11           SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1,

2-12     1999.

2-13           SECTION 6.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-14     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-18     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-19     passage, and it is so enacted.