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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to all |
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persons for whom federal matching money is available. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 32.02472 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 32.02472. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL |
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ASSISTANCE. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission |
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shall provide medical assistance to all persons who apply for that |
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assistance and for whom federal matching money is available. |
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(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary |
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to implement this section. |
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(c) The commission, in cooperation with the comptroller and |
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Legislative Budget Board, shall conduct a study regarding the cost |
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effects of the expanded eligibility. The study must identify: |
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(1) the estimated amount of health care costs hospital |
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districts and counties in this state will save each state fiscal |
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year by expanding that eligibility; and |
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(2) the estimated reduction in uncompensated care |
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costs to hospital districts and counties that will result from the |
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expansion of medical assistance eligibility and that would |
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otherwise be paid from hospital district and county tax revenue. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 26.0443 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 26.0443. TAX RATE ADJUSTMENT FOR EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY |
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FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UNDER FEDERAL LAW. In the first tax year in |
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which a hospital district or a county adopts a tax rate and in which |
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the state expands eligibility for medical assistance in accordance |
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with and provides medical assistance using federal matching money |
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made available under federal law as required by Section 32.02472, |
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Human Resources Code, the effective tax rate and the rollback tax |
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rate for the hospital district or the county are decreased by the |
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rate that, if applied to current total value, would impose an amount |
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of taxes equal to the reduction in uncompensated care costs |
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realized by the hospital district or county as identified under |
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Section 32.02472(c)(2), Human Resources Code, that will result from |
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the provision of that assistance. |
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SECTION 3. Section 32.02472, Human Resources Code, as added |
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by this Act, applies only to an initial determination or |
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recertification of eligibility of a person for medical assistance |
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under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, made on or after the date |
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the section is implemented, regardless of the date the person |
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applied for that assistance. |
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SECTION 4. As soon as possible after the effective date of |
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this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall take all necessary actions to expand |
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eligibility for medical assistance under Chapter 32, Human |
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Resources Code, in accordance with Section 32.02472, Human |
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Resources Code, as added by this Act, including notifying |
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appropriate federal agencies of that expanded eligibility. |
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SECTION 5. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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a state agency determines that any other waiver or authorization |
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from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that |
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provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the |
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waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision |
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until the waiver or authorization is granted. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |