By: Moncrief S.B. No. 831 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a medical assistance buy-in pilot 1-3 program for certain persons with disabilities. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 32.053 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 32.053. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BUY-IN PILOT PROGRAM FOR 1-8 CERTAIN RECIPIENTS WITH DISABILITIES. (a) The department shall 1-9 develop and implement a medical assistance buy-in pilot program in 1-10 accordance with the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement 1-11 Act of 1999 (Pub. L. No. 106-170) to provide medical assistance to: 1-12 (1) a person who: 1-13 (A) is at least 16 years of age, but is not more 1-14 than 64 years of age; 1-15 (B) but for earnings that exceed the limit 1-16 established by federal law for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 1-17 (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.), would be considered to be 1-18 receiving Supplemental Security Income; and 1-19 (C) has income, assets, and resources that do 1-20 not exceed the limits established by the department under 1-21 Subsection (c), if any; and 1-22 (2) an employed individual with a medically improved 1-23 disability, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(v)(1) whose 1-24 income, assets, and resources do not exceed the limits established 1-25 by the department under Subsection (c), if any. 2-1 (b) The department shall operate the pilot program in three 2-2 specific geographic areas of the state, each of which is located in 2-3 a local workforce development area for which the local workforce 2-4 development board has received a federal work incentive grant under 2-5 the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Section 2801 et 2-6 seq.), as amended, to provide employment services and supports to 2-7 persons with disabilities. The department shall determine the 2-8 pilot sites, with one site in an urban area, one site in a rural 2-9 area, and one site in the Texas-Mexico border region. 2-10 (c) In establishing the pilot program, the department may: 2-11 (1) establish income, assets, and resource limitations 2-12 for eligibility for the medical assistance buy-in pilot program; 2-13 and 2-14 (2) require a person who participates in the medical 2-15 assistance buy-in pilot program to pay premiums and other 2-16 cost-sharing charges in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section 2-17 1396o(g)(1). 2-18 (d) In establishing the program, the department shall 2-19 require a person who participates in the medical assistance buy-in 2-20 pilot program to pay premiums to the extent required by 42 U.S.C. 2-21 Section 1396o(g)(2). 2-22 (e) Not later than December 1, 2002, the department shall 2-23 submit to the presiding officer of each house of the legislature a 2-24 report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot program. The 2-25 report must include a recommendation regarding the feasibility of 2-26 expanding the pilot program statewide. 3-1 (f) This section expires September 1, 2003. 3-2 SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Texas 3-3 Department of Human Services shall develop and implement the 3-4 medical assistance buy-in pilot program under Section 32.053, Human 3-5 Resources Code, as added by this Act. 3-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.