79R3656 KLA-F
By: Madla S.B. No. 376
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.