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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the use of promotoras and community health workers in | 
      
        |  | Medicaid managed care. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 533, Government Code, is | 
      
        |  | amended by adding Section 533.032 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 533.032.  PROMOTORAS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.  (a) | 
      
        |  | In this section, "promotora" and "community health worker" have the | 
      
        |  | meaning assigned by Section 48.001, Health and Safety Code. | 
      
        |  | (b)  The commission shall allow each managed care | 
      
        |  | organization that contracts with the commission to provide health | 
      
        |  | care services to recipients under the STAR Medicaid managed care | 
      
        |  | program to categorize services provided by a promotora or community | 
      
        |  | health worker as a quality improvement cost instead of an | 
      
        |  | administrative expense. | 
      
        |  | 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, 2019. |