By Christian H.B. No. 2660 77R8836 KKA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a requirement that recipients of public assistance 1-3 enroll dependent children in a public health care program. 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. ENROLLMENT OF CHILDREN IN PUBLIC HEALTH CARE 1-8 PROGRAMS. (a) In this section, "public health care program" 1-9 includes the Medicaid program and the state child health plan 1-10 program created under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code. 1-11 (b) The commission shall adopt rules requiring a person 1-12 receiving public assistance under a program administered by the 1-13 commission or a health and human services agency, as a condition of 1-14 receiving that assistance, to enroll each of the person's dependent 1-15 children in any public health care program for which the child is 1-16 eligible. 1-17 (c) In implementing the rules adopted under this section, 1-18 the commission or the appropriate health and human services agency 1-19 must: 1-20 (1) identify any public health care program in which a 1-21 person is required to enroll a child; and 1-22 (2) assist the person with the procedures required to 1-23 enroll the child in the identified program. 1-24 (d) The rules adopted under this section must include 2-1 procedures under which the commission or the appropriate health and 2-2 human services agency may exempt a person from the rules for good 2-3 cause. For purposes of this subsection, a person's inability to 2-4 pay any cost associated with enrollment in a public health care 2-5 program must be considered good cause for an exemption. 2-6 SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act 2-7 a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a 2-8 federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, 2-9 the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or 2-10 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 2-11 waiver or authorization is granted. 2-12 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and 2-13 applies to a person who receives public assistance from the Health 2-14 and Human Services Commission or a health and human services agency 2-15 on or after that date, regardless of the date on which eligibility 2-16 for that assistance was determined.