By Junell                                       H.B. No. 2307

      75R4434 CLG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to granting the Health and Human Services Commission the

 1-3     authority to determine fees, charges, and payment rates under the

 1-4     state Medicaid program.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 531.021, Government Code, is amended to

 1-7     read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 531.021.  Administration of Medicaid Program.  (a)  The

 1-9     commission is the state agency designated to administer federal

1-10     medical assistance funds.

1-11           (b)  The commission is responsible for adopting reasonable

1-12     rules and standards governing the determination of fees, charges,

1-13     and rates for medical assistance payments under Chapter 32, Human

1-14     Resources Code.

1-15           SECTION 2.  Rules and standards of a state agency that

1-16     operates part of the state Medicaid program that were adopted under

1-17     Section 32.028, Human Resources Code, before the effective date of

1-18     this Act are continued in effect as rules and standards of the

1-19     Health and Human Services Commission under Section 531.021,

1-20     Government Code, as amended by this Act, until superseded by a rule

1-21     or standard of the Health and Human Services Commission.

1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

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

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.