| 1 | 1 | | 88R14344 KBB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Talarico H.B. No. 4234 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing an account to create a program to pay off |
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| 8 | 8 | | certain outstanding debts attributed to medical expenses; making an |
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| 9 | 9 | | appropriation. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 403, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 403.1101 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 403.1101. MEDICAL DEBTS REPAYMENT ACCOUNT. (a) The |
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| 14 | 14 | | comptroller shall establish an account to create a program to pay |
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| 15 | 15 | | off for certain individuals who reside in this state outstanding |
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| 16 | 16 | | debts attributed to medical expenses. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) An individual is eligible to have outstanding medical |
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| 18 | 18 | | debts paid off only if the individual is a resident of this state |
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| 19 | 19 | | and has: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) a household income of 400 percent of the federal |
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| 21 | 21 | | poverty level or less; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) debts attributed to medical expenses in a total |
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| 23 | 23 | | amount that exceeds five percent of the individual's annual income. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) In implementing the program, the comptroller shall work |
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| 25 | 25 | | directly with hospitals, debt collection agencies, and others to |
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| 26 | 26 | | purchase an individual's medical debts at a reduced price. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 28 | 28 | | establish the account and to create the program to pay off |
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| 29 | 29 | | outstanding debts attributed to medical expenses. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. The amount of $100 million is appropriated from |
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| 31 | 31 | | the general revenue fund to the comptroller of public accounts of |
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| 32 | 32 | | the State of Texas for the state fiscal biennium beginning |
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| 33 | 33 | | September 1, 2023, to provide the payments required by Section 1 of |
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| 34 | 34 | | this Act and to pay costs incurred by the comptroller in |
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| 35 | 35 | | facilitating the program established under that section. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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