By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 1537
         77R4285 KLA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the provision of medical assistance for children of
 1-3     migrant or seasonal agricultural workers.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 531.055 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 531.055.  MIGRANT CARE NETWORK. (a)  In this section,
 1-8     "migrant or seasonal agricultural worker" means an individual who:
 1-9                 (1)  is working or available for work seasonally or
1-10     temporarily in primarily an agricultural or agriculture-related
1-11     industry; and
1-12                 (2)  moves one or more times from one place to another
1-13     to perform seasonal or temporary employment or to be available for
1-14     seasonal or temporary employment.
1-15           (b)  The commission shall contract with one or more existing
1-16     networks of health care providers located in this state and in
1-17     other states to establish a migrant care network to provide health
1-18     care services to children of migrant or seasonal agricultural
1-19     workers who are recipients of medical assistance under Chapter 32,
1-20     Human Resources Code.
1-21           (c)  In establishing the migrant care network, the commission
1-22     shall consider migrant work patterns to determine in which states
1-23     the network is most needed to adequately provide the medical
1-24     assistance.
 2-1           (d)  The commission shall ensure that medical assistance
 2-2     provided outside of this state through the migrant care network is
 2-3     provided in the same manner and to the same extent as that
 2-4     assistance would be provided in this state.
 2-5           SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act a
 2-6     state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
 2-7     federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
 2-8     the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
 2-9     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
2-10     waiver or authorization is granted.
2-11           SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Health and
2-12     Human Services Commission shall establish the migrant care network
2-13     required by Section 531.055, Government Code, as added by this Act.
2-14           SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.