Bill Text: TX HB2244 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a pilot project to provide supportive housing services through Medicaid to persons experiencing chronic homelessness.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-09 - Referred to Human Services [HB2244 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2244-Introduced.html
88R7617 JG-F | ||
By: Campos | H.B. No. 2244 |
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relating to the establishment of a pilot project to provide | ||
supportive housing services through Medicaid to persons | ||
experiencing chronic homelessness. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 4, Government Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 542 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 542. TEXAS PATHWAYS PILOT PROJECT | ||
Sec. 542.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "pilot project" | ||
means the Texas pathways pilot project established by the | ||
commission under this chapter. | ||
Sec. 542.002. CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS. (a) For purposes of | ||
this chapter, an individual or family is considered to be | ||
experiencing chronic homelessness if the individual or family: | ||
(1) is homeless and living or residing in a safe haven, | ||
emergency shelter, or place not meant for human habitation; | ||
(2) for a continuous year during the preceding year or | ||
on at least four separate occasions during the preceding three | ||
years, was homeless and lived or resided in a safe haven, emergency | ||
shelter, or place not meant for human habitation; and | ||
(3) is the head of household who has, or is a member of | ||
a household whose head of household has: | ||
(A) a diagnosed substance use disorder, serious | ||
mental illness, developmental disability, post-traumatic stress | ||
disorder, cognitive impairment resulting from a brain injury, or | ||
chronic illness or disability; or | ||
(B) the simultaneous occurrence of any two or | ||
more of the diagnosed conditions listed in Paragraph (A). | ||
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(1), an individual who | ||
lives or resides in an institutional care facility, including a | ||
jail, substance use or mental health treatment facility, hospital, | ||
or other similar facility, for a period of not more than 90 days is | ||
considered to be experiencing chronic homelessness if, before | ||
living or residing in the institutional care facility, the | ||
individual met the requirements of Subsection (a). | ||
Sec. 542.003. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF PILOT PROJECT. | ||
(a) The commission shall establish and operate a statewide Texas | ||
pathways pilot project to provide to individuals experiencing | ||
chronic homelessness supportive housing services through Medicaid, | ||
including the following services: | ||
(1) behavioral health services, including mental | ||
health and substance use services; | ||
(2) case management services; | ||
(3) personal care and personal assistance services; | ||
(4) home and community-based services; and | ||
(5) other housing support services. | ||
(b) In establishing the pilot project, the commission shall | ||
consider and determine: | ||
(1) eligibility criteria for participation in the | ||
pilot project, including criteria on: | ||
(A) an individual's health conditions; | ||
(B) an individual's housing status; and | ||
(C) current or potential costs of providing | ||
supportive housing services to pilot project participants through | ||
Medicaid; | ||
(2) supportive housing services to be provided to | ||
pilot project participants, including: | ||
(A) outreach and engagement services; | ||
(B) housing search assistance; | ||
(C) education on tenants' rights and | ||
responsibilities; | ||
(D) eviction prevention services; | ||
(E) supportive housing service plans; | ||
(F) the coordination of supportive housing | ||
services with: | ||
(i) primary and health home care; | ||
(ii) substance use treatment; | ||
(iii) mental health treatment; | ||
(iv) vision and dental services; and | ||
(v) hospital and emergency room services; | ||
(G) crisis intervention and critical time | ||
intervention services; | ||
(H) education on independent living skills; and | ||
(I) services to link pilot project participants | ||
to education, job skills training, and employment opportunities; | ||
(3) financing and reinvestment strategies that | ||
account for: | ||
(A) the health care costs and housing status of | ||
Medicaid recipients; | ||
(B) the degree to which accurate and current | ||
information on the housing status of Medicaid recipients is | ||
available; | ||
(C) the health care costs of individuals | ||
receiving supportive housing services; | ||
(D) the health care costs of Medicaid recipients | ||
who receive Medicaid benefits from federal matching funds 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), if applicable; | ||
(E) the pilot project's potential impact on costs | ||
to other entities, such as jails, long-term care facilities, and | ||
treatment facilities; | ||
(F) affordable housing investments that can be | ||
leveraged to create new housing opportunities for pilot project | ||
participants; and | ||
(G) the amount of flexible service dollars | ||
available to cover pilot project costs not covered under Medicaid; | ||
and | ||
(4) the administration of benefits under the pilot | ||
project, including; | ||
(A) the role of managed care; | ||
(B) the role of supportive housing service | ||
providers; and | ||
(C) the coordination of the pilot project with | ||
existing and emerging health care systems. | ||
Sec. 542.004. REPORTS. (a) Not later than June 1, 2024, | ||
the commission shall prepare and submit to the governor, lieutenant | ||
governor, and speaker of the house of representatives a written | ||
report that includes: | ||
(1) a summary of the pilot project's progress; | ||
(2) an assessment of the impact of providing | ||
supportive housing services through Medicaid, including the costs | ||
to provide the services, to individuals experiencing chronic | ||
homelessness; | ||
(3) an update on any waiver or amendment request | ||
necessary to modify the state Medicaid plan to provide supportive | ||
housing services under the pilot project; | ||
(4) a description of the supportive housing services | ||
being provided to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness at | ||
the time the report is prepared; | ||
(5) an analysis of the effectiveness of providing | ||
supportive housing services at the level at which those services | ||
are provided at the time the report is prepared; | ||
(6) estimates of the costs and potential savings of | ||
expanding health programs administered by the commission to meet | ||
the needs of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; | ||
(7) proposed modification to eligibility criteria for | ||
supportive housing services; and | ||
(8) any legislative recommendations. | ||
(b) Not later than September 1, 2026, the commission shall | ||
prepare and submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and | ||
speaker of the house of representatives a final written report on | ||
the pilot project that includes: | ||
(1) a summary of the results of the pilot project; | ||
(2) a statement on the pilot project's success in | ||
providing supportive housing services to individuals experiencing | ||
chronic homelessness; | ||
(3) a recommendation as to whether the pilot project | ||
should be continued as a pilot project or permanent program; and | ||
(4) any legislative recommendations. | ||
Sec. 542.005. CONCLUSION; EXPIRATION. (a) The pilot | ||
project established under this chapter concludes September 1, 2025. | ||
(b) This chapter expires September 1, 2027. | ||
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 September 1, 2023. |