Bill Text: TX HB116 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to expanding eligibility for benefits under the Medicaid program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-09 - Referred to Appropriations [HB116 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB116-Introduced.html
| By: Martinez Fischer | H.B. No. 116 | |
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| relating to expanding eligibility for benefits under the Medicaid | ||
| program | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter H to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER H. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE | ||
| Sec. 32.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services | ||
| Commission. | ||
| (2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive | ||
| commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. | ||
| Sec. 32.352. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE | ||
| UNDER PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. (a) | ||
| Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall provide medical | ||
| assistance to all persons who apply for that assistance and for whom | ||
| federal matching funds are available under the Patient Protection | ||
| and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148) as amended by the | ||
| Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. | ||
| No. 111-152) to provide that assistance. | ||
| (b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules regarding | ||
| the provision of medical assistance as required by this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 32.352, Human Resources Code, as added | ||
| by this article, applies only to an initial determination or | ||
| recertification of eligibility of a person for medical assistance | ||
| under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, made on or after January 1, | ||
| 2016, regardless of the date the person applied for that | ||
| assistance. | ||
| SECTION 3. As soon as possible after the effective date of | ||
| this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission shall take all necessary actions to expand | ||
| eligibility for medical assistance under Chapter 32, Human | ||
| Resources Code, beginning January 1, 2016, and in accordance with | ||
| Section 32.352, Human Resources Code, as added by this article, | ||
| including notifying appropriate federal agencies of that expanded | ||
| eligibility. | ||
| SECTION 4. 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 5. 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, 2015. | ||
