By Thompson                                            H.B. No. 154
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the personal needs allowance for certain Medicaid
 1-3     recipients who are residents of long-term care facilities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.SECTION 1.  Section 32.024(v), Human Resources
 1-6     Code, is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (v)  The department shall set a personal needs allowance of
 1-8     not less than $75 a month for a resident of a convalescent or
 1-9     nursing home or related institution licensed under Chapter 242,
1-10     Health and Safety Code, personal care facility, ICF-MR facility, or
1-11     other similar long-term care facility who receives medical
1-12     assistance.  The department may send the personal needs allowance
1-13     directly to a resident who receives Supplemental Security Income
1-14     (SSI) (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.) [The department is
1-15     authorized to increase the personal needs allowance above the
1-16     minimum of $30 a month, subject to the availability of funds, for a
1-17     resident of a convalescent or nursing home or related institution
1-18     licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, personal care
1-19     facility, ICF-MR facility, or other similar long-term care facility
1-20     who receives medical assistance.  The department may send the
1-21     personal needs allowance directly to a resident who receives
1-22     Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et
 2-1     seq.)]. This subsection does not apply to a resident who is
 2-2     participating in a medical assistance waiver program administered
 2-3     by the department.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
 2-5     applies only to a personal needs allowance paid on or after that
 2-6     date.
 2-7           SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the crowded
 2-8     condition of the calendars in both houses create an emergency and
 2-9     an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule
2-10     requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house be
2-11     suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.