85R10597 MM-D
By: Perez H.B. No. 4179
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to establishing a program to allow school districts to
assist certain children attending public schools in maintaining
their Medicaid and child health plan program eligibility.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.02483 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.02483. SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSISTANCE IN ENSURING
CONTINUED HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental
relation.
(2) "School district" means a public school district
created under the laws of this state.
(b) The commission shall establish a program under which a
school district may request information from the commission
regarding a child enrolled in the district who is a recipient under
Medicaid or an enrollee in the child health plan program and whose
eligibility for benefits under the applicable program will expire
during the school year so that the school district may alert the
child's parent of the need to timely reapply for continuation of the
benefits.
(c) To facilitate the program described by Subsection (b),
as part of a child's enrollment in school each school year, a school
district may request that a child's parent, on a voluntary basis,
indicate on the enrollment form whether the child is covered by
Medicaid or the child health plan program.
(d) A parent is not required to provide the information
described by Subsection (c) as a condition of enrollment, and the
enrollment form must clearly indicate that a parent may elect to
provide or withhold the information.
(e) The commission may develop a procedure under which a
school district may apply to participate in the program.
(f) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to
implement the program established under this section, including
rules that ensure the confidentiality and appropriate use of
recipient or enrollee information shared with a school district.
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. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt the rules necessary to implement
the changes in law made by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.