Bill Text: TX SB657 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to all individuals for whom federal matching money is available.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-12-18 - Filed [SB657 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB657-Introduced.html
| 89R1093 MM-D | ||
| By: Johnson | S.B. No. 657 | |
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| relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to all | ||
| individuals for whom federal matching money is available. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 32.02473 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 32.02473. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID. The | ||
| executive commissioner shall prepare and seek a waiver to the state | ||
| Medicaid plan under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 | ||
| U.S.C. Section 1315) or other applicable federal law to expand to | ||
| the maximum extent permitted by federal law the categories of | ||
| individuals eligible for Medicaid benefits to include all | ||
| individuals for whom federal matching funds are available. The | ||
| waiver must be designed to: | ||
| (1) maximize the reduction in the number of uninsured | ||
| residents of this state; | ||
| (2) promote personal responsibility with respect to | ||
| health care; | ||
| (3) increase the efficiency of the delivery of health | ||
| care services; | ||
| (4) increase the accessibility of health care | ||
| services; and | ||
| (5) reduce health care costs. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission shall apply for and actively pursue the waiver | ||
| required by Section 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or any | ||
| other federal agency. The commission may delay implementing Section | ||
| 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, until the | ||
| waiver applied for under this section 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, 2025. | ||
