Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB583 Compare Versions

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1	1	H.B. No. 583
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to expansion of the electronic eligibility information
6	6	pilot project operated by the Health and Human Services Commission.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Section 531.02413, Government Code, as added by
9	9	Chapter 605 (H.B. 321), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
10	10	Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 531.02413. ELECTRONIC ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION PILOT
12	12	PROJECT. (a) The commission shall establish a pilot project in at
13	13	least one urban area of this state to determine the feasibility,
14	14	costs, and benefits of accepting, for the purpose of establishing
15	15	eligibility for benefits under state and federal health and human
16	16	services programs administered by the commission, the direct
17	17	importation of electronic eligibility information from an
18	18	electronic system operated by a regional safety net provider
19	19	[indigent care] collaborative organization [system].
20	20	(a-1) Not later than September 1, 2010, the commission shall
21	21	expand the pilot project to at least one additional urban area of
22	22	this state if the commission has implemented the Texas Integrated
23	23	Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) in the area selected for the
24	24	expansion.
25	25	(b) An area selected for the pilot project under this
26	26	section must possess a functioning safety net provider [indigent
27	27	care] collaborative organization [system] that includes a network
28	28	of providers and assesses eligibility for health and human services
29	29	programs using electronic systems. The electronic systems used by
30	30	the collaborative organization [system] must be able to interface
31	31	with electronic systems managed by the commission to enable the
32	32	commission to import application and eligibility information
33	33	regarding applicants for health and human services programs.
34	34	(c) In establishing a pilot project under this section, the
35	35	commission shall:
36	36	(1) create [focus on creating] a project in which
37	37	[electronic applications for indigent care created by a] regional
38	38	indigent care networks interface with the commission through the
39	39	Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) or another
40	40	state electronic eligibility system, as appropriate, to share
41	41	electronic applications for indigent care created by the care
42	42	network [may be shared] with the commission to facilitate
43	43	enrollment in health and human services programs administered by
44	44	the commission;
45	45	(2) automatically import the application information
46	46	submitted under Subdivision (1) with minimal human intervention to
47	47	eliminate double data entry and data entry errors and to ensure most
48	48	appropriate use of commission resources while maintaining program
49	49	integrity;
50	50	(3) [(2)] solicit and obtain support for the project
51	51	from local officials and indigent care providers;
52	52	(4) [(3)] ensure that all identifying and descriptive
53	53	information of recipients in each health and human services program
54	54	included in the project can only be accessed by providers or other
55	55	entities participating in the project; and
56	56	(5) [(4)] ensure that the storage and communication of
57	57	all identifying and descriptive information included in the project
58	58	complies with existing federal and state privacy laws governing
59	59	individually identifiable information for recipients of public
60	60	benefits programs.
61	61	(d) In implementing the project under Subsection (c), the
62	62	commission shall review and process applications in a timely manner
63	63	and, to the extent allowed by federal law and regulations, work
64	64	directly with each organization to obtain missing documents and
65	65	resolve issues that impede enrollment. Each organization must be
66	66	authorized by the applicant to receive information concerning the
67	67	applicant directly from the commission.
68	68	(e) The commission shall provide a monthly statistical
69	69	report to each safety net provider collaborative organization that
70	70	submits an application under Subsection (d) and to the Legislative
71	71	Budget Board on the number of applications processed, the
72	72	timeliness of the application process, and the reasons for any
73	73	delays. The commission shall work with the safety net provider
74	74	collaborative organizations to decrease delays in processing
75	75	applications.
76	76	SECTION 2. Not later than December 15, 2011, the Health and
77	77	Human Services Commission shall:
78	78	(1) assess the cost-effectiveness, efficacy,
79	79	efficiency, and benefits of using electronic eligibility
80	80	information imported from electronic systems operated by regional
81	81	safety net provider collaborative organizations; and
82	82	(2) report the commission's findings resulting from
83	83	the pilot project established under Section 531.02413, Government
84	84	Code, as added by Chapter 605 (H.B. 321), Acts of the 80th
85	85	Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, and amended by this Act, to the
86	86	standing committees of the senate and house of representatives
87	87	having primary jurisdiction over health and human services issues.
88	88	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
89	89	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
90	90	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
91	91	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
92	92	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
93	93	waiver or authorization is granted.
94	94	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
95	95	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
96	96	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
97	97	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
98	98	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
99	99	______________________________ ______________________________
100	100	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
101	101	I certify that H.B. No. 583 was passed by the House on May 11,
102	102	2009, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not
103	103	voting.
104	104	______________________________
105	105	Chief Clerk of the House
106	106	I certify that H.B. No. 583 was passed by the Senate on May
107	107	26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
108	108	______________________________
109	109	Secretary of the Senate
110	110	APPROVED: _____________________
111	111	Date
112	112	_____________________
113	113	Governor