1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certain children's eligibility for medical assistance.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
1-5 is amended by adding Section 32.0251 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 32.0251. ELIGIBILITY NOTIFICATION AND REVIEW FOR
1-7 CERTAIN CHILDREN. (a) The department shall establish and
1-8 implement procedures under which the department automatically
1-9 reviews a child's eligibility for medical assistance if:
1-10 (1) the child originally establishes eligibility for
1-11 medical assistance on the basis of receipt of financial assistance
1-12 under Chapter 31, as provided by Section 32.025(a); and
1-13 (2) that receipt of financial assistance under Chapter
1-14 31 ceases.
1-15 (b) If the review required by this section indicates that
1-16 the child may be eligible for medical assistance on a basis other
1-17 than receipt of financial assistance under Chapter 31, the
1-18 department may provide for provisional eligibility for medical
1-19 assistance for the child pending a recertification review. The
1-20 provisional eligibility period authorized by this subsection may
1-21 not exceed one month.
1-22 (c) In addition to the review required by this section, the
1-23 department shall also promote continued medical assistance for a
1-24 child described by Subsection (a) through:
2-1 (1) revising client education and notification
2-2 policies relating to a child's eligibility for medical assistance;
2-3 and
2-4 (2) providing specific notification of a child's
2-5 potential eligibility for medical assistance to the child's parent
2-6 or other caretaker at the time the parent or caretaker is notified
2-7 of:
2-8 (A) a scheduled eligibility recertification
2-9 review; or
2-10 (B) the termination of financial assistance.
2-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect only if a specific
2-12 appropriation for the implementation of this Act is provided in
2-13 H.B. No. 1 (General Appropriations Act), Acts of the 76th
2-14 Legislature, Regular Session, 1999. If no specific appropriation
2-15 is provided in H.B. No. 1, the General Appropriations Act, this Act
2-16 has no effect.
2-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-23 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 820 was passed by the House on May 7,
1999, by the following vote: Yeas 80, Nays 62, 1 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 820 on May 22, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 0,
2 present, not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 820 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 19, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays
0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor