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By:  Ellis                                                        S.B. No. 1615
	(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2003; March 20, 2003, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services; 
April 29, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 
Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 29, 2003, 
sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1615                                   By:  Deuell


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to a pilot program for language interpreter services under 
the medical assistance program.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, 
is amended by adding Section 32.061 to read as follows:
	Sec. 32.061.  LANGUAGE INTERPRETER SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM.  
(a)  The Health and Human Services Commission shall establish a 
pilot program to provide recipients of medical assistance with oral 
and written language interpreter services in accordance with 
federal law and applicable publications of the federal Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office for Civil Rights of 
the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
	(b)  The Health and Human Services Commission shall 
establish the pilot program through local governmental entities in 
at least five sites determined by the commission.  The sites must 
include:
		(1)  the Harris County Hospital District;                              
		(2)  the Bexar County Hospital District;                               
		(3)  the El Paso County Hospital District;                             
		(4)  the Tarrant County Hospital District; and                         
		(5)  the Parkland Health and Hospital System.                          
	(c)  The Health and Human Services Commission shall ensure 
that the pilot program is financed using:
		(1)  money provided to the commission for purposes of 
the program by participating local governmental entities to 
maximize federal matching money under the medical assistance 
program; and
		(2)  any corresponding federal matching money.                         
	(d)  A participating local governmental entity may provide 
money to the Health and Human Services Commission by certification 
or intergovernmental transfer to finance the pilot program as 
described by Subsection (c)(1).
	(e)  Not later than January 1, 2005, the Health and Human 
Services Commission shall evaluate the pilot program and report to 
the 79th Legislature on the effectiveness of the program and the 
feasibility of expanding the program statewide.
	(f)  This section expires September 1, 2005.                            
	SECTION 2.  If before implementing any provision of this Act 
a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a 
federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, 
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or 
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 
waiver or authorization is granted.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.



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