79R3656 KLA-F


By:  Zedler                                                       H.B. No. 1396



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 32.068 to read as follows:
	Sec. 32.068.  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 commission shall establish the pilot program 
through local governmental entities in at least five sites.  The 
commission shall request participation by, and give first priority 
to, the following local governmental entities:
		(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)  If one or more local governmental entities listed under 
Subsection (b) decline to participate in the pilot program, the 
commission shall request participation by other local governmental 
entities until the commission obtains agreements to participate 
from a sufficient number of local governmental entities to enable 
the commission to establish the program in at least five sites.
	(d)  The 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.                         
	(e)  A participating local governmental entity may provide 
money to the commission by certification or intergovernmental 
transfer to finance the pilot program as described by Subsection 
(d)(1).
	(f)  Not later than January 1, 2007, the commission shall 
evaluate the pilot program and report to the 80th Legislature on the 
effectiveness of the program and the feasibility of expanding the 
program statewide.
	(g)  This section expires September 1, 2007.                            
	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, 2005.