By Zaffirini                                          S.B. No. 1592
         76R4946 KLA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to implementation of certain procedures to ensure accuracy
 1-3     of medical assistance eligibility lists.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 531.0214, Government Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
 1-7           (e)  The commission shall ensure that the database system is
 1-8     used each month to match bureau of vital statistics death records
 1-9     with a list of persons eligible for medical assistance under
1-10     Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, and that each person who is
1-11     deceased is promptly removed from the list of persons eligible for
1-12     medical assistance.
1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 531.106, Government Code, is amended by
1-14     adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
1-15           (g)  Each month, the learning or neural network technology
1-16     implemented under this section must match bureau of vital
1-17     statistics death records with Medicaid  claims filed by a provider.
1-18     If the commission determines that a provider has filed a claim for
1-19     services provided to a person after the person's date of death, as
1-20     determined by the bureau of vital statistics death records, the
1-21     commission shall refer the case for investigation to the
1-22     commission's office of investigations and enforcement.
1-23           SECTION 3.  The Health and Human Services Commission shall
1-24     implement the matching systems required by Sections 531.0214(e) and
 2-1     531.106(g), Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than
 2-2     January 1, 2000.
 2-3           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.