76R10946 KLA-D                           
         By Coleman, Ehrhardt                                  H.B. No. 2304
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2304:
         By Coleman                                        C.S.H.B. No. 2304
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain providers of family counseling services under
 1-3     the medical assistance program.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 32.027(e), Human Resources Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (e)  The department shall assure that a recipient of medical
 1-8     assistance under this chapter may select a licensed psychologist or
 1-9     a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined by Section 2,
1-10     Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Article 4512c-1,
1-11     Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), to perform any health care service
1-12     or procedure covered under the medical assistance program if the
1-13     selected psychologist or marriage and family therapist is
1-14     authorized by law to perform the service or procedure.  This
1-15     subsection shall be liberally construed.
1-16           SECTION 2.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
1-17     a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
1-18     federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
1-19     the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
1-20     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
1-21     waiver or authorization is granted.
1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.