| 1 | 1 | | By: Hickland H.B. No. 1310 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to an annual report on the costs to this state and |
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| 9 | 9 | | political subdivisions of providing health care services to foreign |
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| 10 | 10 | | patients. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 525, Government Code, as |
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| 13 | 13 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 525.0304 to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 525.0304. ANNUAL REPORT ON COSTS OF PROVIDING HEALTH |
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| 16 | 16 | | CARE SERVICES TO FOREIGN PATIENTS. (a) In this section: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) "Emergency care" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 18 | 18 | | Section 1301.155, Insurance Code. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Political subdivision" includes a municipality, |
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| 20 | 20 | | county, and hospital district in this state. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The commission shall quarterly collect information on |
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| 22 | 22 | | the costs incurred by this state and political subdivisions for |
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| 23 | 23 | | providing at public hospitals inpatient health care services and |
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| 24 | 24 | | emergency care to uninsured patients who are not citizens or lawful |
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| 25 | 25 | | permanent residents of the United States. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) A public hospital providing inpatient health care |
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| 27 | 27 | | services or emergency care to a patient described by Subsection (b) |
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| 28 | 28 | | shall inform the patient that: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) the hospital must provide to the commission the |
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| 30 | 30 | | information described by Subsection (b); and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the provision of the information does not affect |
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| 32 | 32 | | or limit the hospital's duty to provide the patient care under |
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| 33 | 33 | | federal law. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) Not later than January 1 of each year, the commission |
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| 35 | 35 | | shall submit to the governor and the legislature a written report |
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| 36 | 36 | | outlining the costs incurred by this state and political |
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| 37 | 37 | | subdivisions for providing inpatient health care services and |
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| 38 | 38 | | emergency care to patients described by Subsection (b), including |
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| 39 | 39 | | any recommendations regarding options available for this state to |
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| 40 | 40 | | seek reimbursement for those costs from the federal government. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) The executive commissioner shall adopt any rules |
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| 42 | 42 | | necessary to implement this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than October 1, 2025, the |
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| 44 | 44 | | executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission |
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| 45 | 45 | | shall adopt any necessary rules as required by Section 525.0304, |
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| 46 | 46 | | Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) begin collecting the information required by |
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| 49 | 49 | | Section 525.0304, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later |
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| 50 | 50 | | than November 1, 2025; and |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) submit the first report required by Section |
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| 52 | 52 | | 525.0304, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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| 53 | 53 | | January 1, 2027. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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