Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4310 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R12476 KKR-D
2	2	By: Bucy H.B. No. 4310
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing a nutritional support grant program for
8	8	certain medically fragile children.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter C to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER C. NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN
13	13	MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN
14	14	Sec. 33.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Grant program" means the nutritional support
16	16	grant program for medically fragile children established under this
17	17	subchapter.
18	18	(2) "Medically fragile child" means a person younger
19	19	than 18 years of age who is:
20	20	(A) chronically ill or disabled and requires
21	21	indefinite skilled nursing care to maintain the person's existence
22	22	in the person's home;
23	23	(B) temporarily ill or disabled because of
24	24	premature birth, accident, or trauma and has experienced a
25	25	temporary lifestyle change requiring skilled nursing care;
26	26	(C) suffering from uncontrollable seizures or
27	27	other chronic illness; or
28	28	(D) chronically dependent on medical devices to
29	29	perform vital bodily functions.
30	30	Sec. 33.102. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM. The executive
31	31	commissioner by rule shall develop and implement a grant program to
32	32	provide financial assistance to the families of medically fragile
33	33	children who have been diagnosed with a rare or unique disease or
34	34	medical condition for the purpose of assisting families in paying
35	35	the costs associated with providing specialized nutritional
36	36	support for that child.
37	37	Sec. 33.103. ELIGIBILITY. (a) The executive commissioner
38	38	by rule shall establish eligibility criteria for awarding grants
39	39	under the grant program. The criteria must provide that for a person
40	40	to be eligible for a grant, the person must:
41	41	(1) be the parent and primary caregiver of a medically
42	42	fragile child with a rare or unique disease or medical condition
43	43	that requires specialized nutritional support, including enteral
44	44	nutrition; and
45	45	(2) lack or have inadequate health benefit plan
46	46	coverage to pay the costs associated with providing that support.
47	47	(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall identify the
48	48	diagnoses considered rare and unique for purposes of Subsection
49	49	(a)(1).
50	50	(c) The executive commissioner may not impose income
51	51	eligibility requirements under the grant program.
52	52	Sec. 33.104. AWARD OF GRANTS. (a) The commission may
53	53	approve grants according to commission rules.
54	54	(b) A grant awarded under this subchapter is governed by
55	55	Chapter 783, Government Code, and rules adopted under that chapter.
56	56	Sec. 33.105. FUNDING. The commission shall award grants as
57	57	provided by this subchapter from available money and any additional
58	58	money appropriated for this purpose.
59	59	Sec. 33.106. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The commission
60	60	may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source that are
61	61	made for the purposes of the grant program.
62	62	SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2022, the executive
63	63	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
64	64	adopt rules necessary to implement Subchapter C, Chapter 33, Human
65	65	Resources Code, as added by this Act.
66	66	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.