By: Davis of Harris, et al. H.B. No. 2466
        (Senate Sponsor - Huffman)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2017;
  May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
  Human Services; May 18, 2017, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 18, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to coverage for certain services related to maternal
  depression under the Medicaid and child health plan programs.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 62, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 62.1511 to read as follows:
         Sec. 62.1511.  COVERAGE FOR MATERNAL DEPRESSION SCREENING.
  (a) In this section, "maternal depression" means depression of any
  severity with postpartum onset.
         (b)  The covered services under the child health plan must
  include a maternal depression screening for an enrollee's mother,
  regardless of whether the mother is also an enrollee, that is
  performed during a covered well-child or other office visit for the
  enrollee that occurs before the enrollee's first birthday.
         (c)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
  to implement this section. The rules must be based on:
               (1)  clinical and empirical evidence concerning
  maternal depression; and
               (2)  information provided by relevant physicians and
  behavioral health organizations.
         (d)  The commission shall seek, accept, and spend any federal
  funds that are available for the purposes of this section,
  including priority funding authorized by Section 317L-1 of the
  Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as added
  by the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. No. 114-255).
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Section 32.0561 to read as follows:
         Sec. 32.0561.  MATERNAL DEPRESSION SCREENING. (a) In this
  section, "maternal depression" means depression of any severity
  with postpartum onset.
         (b)  The commission shall provide medical assistance
  reimbursement for a maternal depression screening for a recipient's
  mother, regardless of whether the mother is also a recipient, that
  is performed during a covered examination for the recipient under
  the Texas Health Steps Comprehensive Care Program that occurs
  before the recipient's first birthday.
         (c)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
  to implement this section. The rules must be based on:
               (1)  clinical and empirical evidence concerning
  maternal depression; and
               (2)  information provided by relevant physicians and
  behavioral health organizations.
         (d)  The commission shall seek, accept, and spend any federal
  funds that are available for the purposes of this section,
  including priority funding authorized by Section 317L-1 of the
  Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), as added
  by the 21st Century Cures Act (Pub. L. No. 114-255).
         SECTION 3.  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 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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