BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 526

By: Nelson

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

More than 200 Texas counties are designated as medically underserved areas.  Federally qualified health centers provide health care services to low income and medically underserved communities.  The 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, enacted S.B. 610 directing the Department of State Health Services to create the federally qualified health center incubator program to make grants to establish new or expand existing facilities that can qualify as federally qualified health centers.  This program is set to expire on September 1, 2009.

S.B. 526 deletes language providing that the program expires on September 1, 2009, and authorizes the program to make grants to support new or expanded services at facilities that can qualify as federally qualified health centers.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 526 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize the Department of State Health Services to make grants to support new or expanded services at facilities that can qualify as federally qualified health centers, in addition to the department's authority to establish new or expand existing facilities.  The bill removes the September 1, 2009, expiration date from provisions relating to grants for federally qualified health centers.  The bill establishes that its provisions do not make an appropriation, and that the bill takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the implementation of the bill's provisions is provided in a general appropriations act of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009.

EFFECTIVE DATE

August 31, 2009.