Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1879 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Darby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Sparks) H.B. No. 1879
2	2	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
3	3	May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
4	4	Human Services; May 21, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable
5	5	Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0;
6	6	May 21, 2023, sent to printer.)
7	7	Click here to see the committee vote
8	8	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1879 By: Sparks
9	9
10	10
11	11	COMMITTEE VOTE
12	12	YeaNayAbsentPNV
13	13	KolkhorstX
14	14	PerryX
15	15	BlancoX
16	16	HallX
17	17	HancockX
18	18	HughesX
19	19	LaMantiaX
20	20	MilesX
21	21	SparksX
22	22	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
23	23	AN ACT
24	24	relating to the provision of counseling services by certain
25	25	providers under Medicaid and reimbursement for those services.
26	26	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
27	27	SECTION 1. Section 32.027, Human Resources Code, is amended
28	28	by amending Subsection (l) and adding Subsection (m) to read as
29	29	follows:
30	30	(l) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall assure
31	31	that a recipient of medical assistance under this chapter may
32	32	select a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family
33	33	therapist, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, a
34	34	licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002,
35	35	Occupations Code, or a licensed clinical [master] social worker, as
36	36	defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code, to perform any health
37	37	care service or procedure covered under the medical assistance
38	38	program if the selected person is authorized by law to perform the
39	39	service or procedure. This subsection shall be liberally
40	40	construed.
41	41	(m) The commission shall assure that a recipient of medical
42	42	assistance under this chapter may select the following to perform
43	43	any health care service or procedure covered under the medical
44	44	assistance program, including a service or procedure performed at a
45	45	federally qualified health center as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section
46	46	1396d(l)(2)(B), if the selected person is licensed and authorized
47	47	by law to perform the service or procedure:
48	48	(1) a licensed marriage and family therapist
49	49	associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, who is
50	50	working toward fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to
51	51	be licensed as a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined
52	52	by that section;
53	53	(2) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
54	54	Section 505.002, Occupations Code, who is actively pursuing the
55	55	education and training required to be licensed as a licensed
56	56	clinical social worker, as defined by that section; or
57	57	(3) a licensed professional counselor associate, as
58	58	described by 22 T.A.C. Chapter 681, who is working toward
59	59	fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to be licensed as a
60	60	licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002,
61	61	Occupations Code.
62	62	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
63	63	is amended by adding Section 32.079 to read as follows:
64	64	Sec. 32.079. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNSELING
65	65	SERVICES. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), the commission shall
66	66	provide reimbursement under the medical assistance program to a
67	67	provider described by Section 32.027(m) who is selected by a
68	68	recipient of medical assistance and who provides a service or
69	69	procedure covered under the medical assistance program that the
70	70	provider is authorized by law to perform. The commission shall
71	71	ensure that the provider is reimbursed at a rate equal to 50 percent
72	72	of the reimbursement rate established for a licensed psychiatrist
73	73	or licensed psychologist for providing similar services.
74	74	(b) The commission shall ensure that reimbursement provided
75	75	to a provider under Subsection (a) is limited to not more than 3,000
76	76	hours or, if applicable, the number of hours of clinical practice or
77	77	other experience the provider is required to complete to qualify
78	78	for the applicable license.
79	79	(c) This section shall be liberally construed.
80	80	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
81	81	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
82	82	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
83	83	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
84	84	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
85	85	waiver or authorization is granted.
86	86	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
87	87	* * * * *