BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1456

By: Herrero

County Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Nueces County Hospital District health care provider participation program is currently set to expire December 31, 2021. Concerns have been raised that access to affordable health care in Nueces County and surrounding areas may suffer if the program is eliminated. C.S.H.B. 1456 seeks to address this concern by repealing the expiration date of the Nueces County Hospital District health care provider participation program. The bill also makes the authorization for the hospital district to use funds for health care services contingent on the district's fulfillment of indigent care obligations.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1456 repeals the expiration date of the Nueces County Hospital District's health care provider participation program.

C.S.H.B. 1456 amends the Health and Safety Code to expand the authorized sources of funds from which the hospital district board may fund health care services for the district's residents to include a tax levy. The bill includes among the conditions for that use of those funds the board's determination that the district has funds available in addition to the funds necessary to satisfy the district's obligation to fund indigent health care for district residents.

C.S.H.B. 1456 repeals the following provisions:

· Section 298C.004, Health and Safety Code, as added by Chapter 694 (S.B. 2315), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019; and

· Section 2, Chapter 694 (S.B. 2315), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1456 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute, unlike the original, qualifies the authority of the board of the Nueces County Hospital District to use district funds for certain health care services by including a condition relating to indigent health care obligations and expands the authorized sources of non-indigent health care services funding.

The substitute changes the bill's effective date from the original's date of September 1, 2021, to immediately on passage or September 1, 2021, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote.