Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4016 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R13112 JG-F
2	2	By: Calanni H.B. No. 4016
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to demonstration projects to coordinate eligibility
8	8	renewal and eligibility recertification for certain children in the
9	9	Medicaid and child health plan programs.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 62, Health and Safety
12	12	Code, is amended by adding Section 62.1025 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 62.1025. ELIGIBILITY RENEWAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
14	14	(a) The commission shall establish a demonstration project through
15	15	the child health plan program to allow the commission to
16	16	simultaneously renew the eligibility of each child residing in the
17	17	same household who is eligible for enrollment in the program.
18	18	(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
19	19	to determine the scope of and eligibility for participating in the
20	20	demonstration project.
21	21	(c) The commission shall, to the extent possible, operate
22	22	the demonstration project established under this section in
23	23	conjunction with the demonstration project established under
24	24	Section 32.02614, Human Resources Code. The demonstration project
25	25	may not increase the frequency with which:
26	26	(1) the eligibility of children participating in the
27	27	demonstration project would otherwise be renewed; or
28	28	(2) those children's household incomes are reviewed
29	29	under Section 62.102(b).
30	30	(d) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall
31	31	submit a report to the legislature regarding the commission's
32	32	progress in establishing and operating the demonstration project
33	33	and recommendations on continuing or expanding the demonstration
34	34	project.
35	35	(e) This section expires September 1, 2023.
36	36	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
37	37	is amended by adding Section 32.02614 to read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 32.02614. ELIGIBILITY RECERTIFICATION DEMONSTRATION
39	39	PROJECT. (a) In this section, "child health plan program" has the
40	40	meaning assigned by Section 531.001, Government Code.
41	41	(b) The commission shall establish a demonstration project
42	42	through the medical assistance program to allow the commission, to
43	43	the greatest extent possible, to develop and test solutions to
44	44	simultaneously:
45	45	(1) recertify and renew, as applicable, the
46	46	eligibility of each child residing in the same household who is
47	47	eligible for medical assistance under this chapter or for the child
48	48	health plan program, including the eligibility of siblings when a
49	49	child within the household reaches the age of one; and
50	50	(2) verify the household income of all persons
51	51	described by Subdivision (1) in accordance with this section to
52	52	determine eligibility.
53	53	(c) The demonstration project must include participation by
54	54	one or more households in each of the following categories:
55	55	(1) a household with children who are eligible for
56	56	medical assistance or the child health plan program, at least one of
57	57	whom is younger than the age of one;
58	58	(2) a household with children who are eligible for
59	59	medical assistance or the child health plan program, at least some
60	60	of whom are not siblings; and
61	61	(3) a household with at least one child who is eligible
62	62	for medical assistance and at least one child who is eligible for
63	63	the child health plan program.
64	64	(d) The commission shall simultaneously verify the
65	65	household income of all children within the same household
66	66	participating in the demonstration project not more frequently than
67	67	three times during each 12-month period. To the extent
68	68	practicable:
69	69	(1) the first verification must occur before the
70	70	fourth month following the earliest date that a child residing in
71	71	the household was determined to be eligible for the medical
72	72	assistance program;
73	73	(2) the second verification must occur after the
74	74	four-month period but before the eighth month following the
75	75	earliest date that a child residing in the household was determined
76	76	to be eligible for the medical assistance program; and
77	77	(3) the third verification must occur after the
78	78	eight-month period but before the annual recertification date.
79	79	(e) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
80	80	to determine the scope of and eligibility for participating in the
81	81	demonstration project.
82	82	(f) The commission may establish the demonstration project
83	83	in one or more geographic areas in this state and form partnerships
84	84	with entities experienced in outreach, application assistance, and
85	85	enrolling recipients in the medical assistance program, the child
86	86	health plan program, and any other health benefits coverage.
87	87	(g) The commission shall, to the extent possible, operate
88	88	the demonstration project established under this section in
89	89	conjunction with the demonstration project established under
90	90	Section 62.1025, Health and Safety Code.
91	91	(h) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall
92	92	submit a report to the legislature regarding the commission's
93	93	progress in establishing and operating the demonstration project
94	94	and recommendations on continuing or expanding the demonstration
95	95	project.
96	96	(i) This section expires September 1, 2023.
97	97	SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2020, the Health and
98	98	Human Services Commission shall implement the eligibility renewal
99	99	and eligibility recertification demonstration projects required by
100	100	Section 62.1025, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, and
101	101	Section 32.02614, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
102	102	SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act
103	103	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
104	104	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
105	105	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
106	106	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
107	107	waiver or authorization is granted.
108	108	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
109	109	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
110	110	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
111	111	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
112	112	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.