HBA-NLM H.B. 3693 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3693
By: Hunter
Human Services
3/22/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, regulations allow the Department of Humans Services to license
Medicaid beds that are committed to the care of patients with Alzheimer's
and are affiliated with a medical school operated by the state, are engaged
in research, and that separate patients according to the  stage of the
disease and the functional level of the patient. However, there are no
provisions that allow for care of traditional nursing home patients under
similar circumstances. The purpose of this bill is to allow for a portion
of  the traditional nursing beds to be designated as Medicaid to adequately
and fairly treat all segments of the geriatric population. 

H.B. 3693 authorizes the department to control beds in a facility which is
affiliated with a statesupported medical school, located on land owned or
controlled by the school, and is a teaching facility for physicians and
related health care professionals.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 32.0213, Human Resources Code, by adding
Subsection (c), as follows: 

(c)  Authorizes the Health and Human Services Commission (department) to
control beds in a facility which is affiliated with a state-supported
medical school, located on land owned or controlled by the school, and is a
teaching facility for physicians and related health care professionals.
Provides an exception under this section.  

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.