1-1     By:  Thompson, et al. (Senate Sponsor - West)          H.B. No. 143
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     Services; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0;
 1-6     May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 143                 By:  Moncrief
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the personal needs allowance for certain Medicaid
1-11     recipients who are residents of long-term care facilities.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended
1-14     by adding Subsection (v) to read as follows:
1-15           (v)  The department shall set a personal needs allowance of
1-16     not less than $60 a month for a resident of a convalescent or
1-17     nursing home or related institution licensed under Chapter 242,
1-18     Health and Safety Code, personal care facility, ICF-MR facility, or
1-19     other similar long-term care facility who receives medical
1-20     assistance.  The department may send the personal needs allowance
1-21     directly to a resident who receives Supplemental Security Income
1-22     (SSI) (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.).  This subsection does not
1-23     apply to a resident who is participating in a medical assistance
1-24     waiver program administered by the department.
1-25           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-26     applies only to a personal needs allowance paid on or after that
1-27     date.
1-28           (b)  The Health and Human Services Commission or Texas
1-29     Department of Human Services is required to implement this Act only
1-30     if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that
1-31     purpose.  If the legislature does not appropriate money
1-32     specifically for that purpose, the commission or department may,
1-33     but is not required to, implement this Act using other
1-34     appropriations available for the purpose.
1-35           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-36     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-37     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-38     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-39     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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