By Wise, Hunter, Hupp, Noriega                         H.B. No. 670
         76R937 CMR-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to providing, at no cost, medical records to Texas
 1-3     veterans for certain purposes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 161.202(a), Health and Safety Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A health care provider or health care facility may not
 1-8     charge a fee for a medical or mental health record requested by a
 1-9     patient or former patient, or by an attorney or other authorized
1-10     representative of the patient or former patient, for use in
1-11     supporting an application for disability benefits or other benefits
1-12     or assistance the patient or former patient may be eligible to
1-13     receive based on that patient's or former patient's disability, or
1-14     an appeal relating to denial of those benefits or assistance under:
1-15                 (1)  Chapter 31, Human Resources Code;
1-16                 (2)  the state Medicaid program;
1-17                 (3)  Title II, the federal Social Security Act, as
1-18     amended (42 U.S.C.  Section 401 et seq.);
1-19                 (4)  Title XVI, the federal Social Security Act, as
1-20     amended  (42 U.S.C.  Section 1382 et seq.); [or]
1-21                 (5)  Title XVIII, the federal Social Security Act, as
1-22     amended (42 U.S.C.  Section 1395 et seq.);
1-23                 (6)  38 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq., as amended; or
1-24                 (7)  38 U.S.C. Section 1501 et seq., as amended.
 2-1           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-2           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.