BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 526
81R12815 CS-D By: Nelson, Uresti
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Over 200 Texas counties are designated as medically underserved areas. Federally qualified health centers (FQHC) provide health care services to low income and medically underserved communities. S.B. 610, 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, directed the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to create the FQHC incubator program to make grants to establish new or expand existing facilities that can qualify as FQHCs. This program is set to expire on September 1, 2009.
C.S.S.B. 526 deletes language providing that the FQHC grant program expires on September 1, 2009, and authorizes the program to make grants to support new or expanded services at FQHC facilities.
[Note: While the statutory reference in this bill is to the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the following amendments affect the Department of State Health Services, as the successor agency to TDH.]
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 31.017, Health and Safety Code, as follows:
Sec. 31.017. FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS. Authorizes the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to make grants to establish new or expand existing facilities and to support new or expanded services at facilities that can qualify as federally qualified health centers, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 1396d(1)(2)(B), in this state, including planning grants, development grants, capital improvement grants, and grants for transitional operating support. Deletes existing Subsection (b), providing that this section expires September 1, 2009.
SECTION 2. Effective date: August 31, 2009.