1-1 By: Moncrief S.B. No. 831 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 21, 2001; February 22, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; March 12, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; 1-6 March 12, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 831 By: Moncrief 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the establishment of a medical assistance buy-in pilot 1-11 program for certain persons with disabilities. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, 1-14 is amended by adding Section 32.053 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 32.053. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BUY-IN PILOT PROGRAM FOR 1-16 CERTAIN RECIPIENTS WITH DISABILITIES. (a) The department shall 1-17 develop and implement a medical assistance buy-in pilot program in 1-18 accordance with the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement 1-19 Act of 1999 (Pub. L. No. 106-170) to provide medical assistance to: 1-20 (1) a person who: 1-21 (A) is at least 16 years of age, but is not more 1-22 than 64 years of age; 1-23 (B) but for earnings that exceed the limit 1-24 established by federal law for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 1-25 (42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.), would be considered to be 1-26 receiving Supplemental Security Income; and 1-27 (C) has income, assets, and resources that do 1-28 not exceed the limits established by the department under 1-29 Subsection (c), if any; and 1-30 (2) an employed individual with a medically improved 1-31 disability, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(v)(1) whose 1-32 income, assets, and resources do not exceed the limits established 1-33 by the department under Subsection (c), if any. 1-34 (b) The department shall operate the pilot program in three 1-35 specific geographic areas of the state, each of which is located in 1-36 a local workforce development area for which the local workforce 1-37 development board has received a federal work incentive grant under 1-38 the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Section 2801 et 1-39 seq.), as amended, to provide employment services and supports to 1-40 persons with disabilities. The department shall determine the 1-41 pilot sites, with one site in an urban area, one site in a rural 1-42 area, and one site in the Texas-Mexico border region. 1-43 (c) In establishing the pilot program, the department may: 1-44 (1) establish income, assets, and resource limitations 1-45 for eligibility for the medical assistance buy-in pilot program; 1-46 and 1-47 (2) require a person who participates in the medical 1-48 assistance buy-in pilot program to pay premiums and other 1-49 cost-sharing charges in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section 1-50 1396o(g)(1). 1-51 (d) In establishing the program, the department shall 1-52 require a person who participates in the medical assistance buy-in 1-53 pilot program to pay premiums to the extent required by 42 U.S.C. 1-54 Section 1396o(g)(2). 1-55 (e) Not later than December 1, 2002, the department shall 1-56 submit to the presiding officer of each house of the legislature a 1-57 report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot program. The 1-58 report must include a recommendation regarding the feasibility of 1-59 expanding the pilot program statewide. 1-60 (f) This section expires September 1, 2003. 1-61 SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Texas 1-62 Department of Human Services shall develop and implement the 1-63 medical assistance buy-in pilot program under Section 32.053, Human 1-64 Resources Code, as added by this Act. 2-1 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-2 * * * * *