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. 1-40 * * * * *