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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing a program to allow school districts to |
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assist certain children attending public schools in maintaining |
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their Medicaid and child health plan program eligibility. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.02483 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.02483. SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSISTANCE IN ENSURING |
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CONTINUED HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental |
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relation. |
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(2) "School district" means a public school district |
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created under the laws of this state. |
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(b) The commission shall establish a program under which a |
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school district may request information from the commission |
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regarding a child enrolled in the district who is a recipient under |
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Medicaid or an enrollee in the child health plan program and whose |
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eligibility for benefits under the applicable program will expire |
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during the school year so that the school district may alert the |
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child's parent of the need to timely reapply for continuation of the |
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benefits. |
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(c) To facilitate the program described by Subsection (b), |
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as part of a child's enrollment in school each school year, a school |
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district may request that a child's parent, on a voluntary basis, |
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indicate on the enrollment form whether the child is covered by |
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Medicaid or the child health plan program. |
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(d) A parent is not required to provide the information |
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described by Subsection (c) as a condition of enrollment, and the |
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enrollment form must clearly indicate that a parent may elect to |
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provide or withhold the information. |
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(e) The commission may develop a procedure under which a |
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school district may apply to participate in the program. |
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(f) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to |
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implement the program established under this section, including |
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rules that ensure the confidentiality and appropriate use of |
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recipient or enrollee information shared with a school district. |
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SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt the rules necessary to implement |
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the changes in law made by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |