| 1 | 1 | | 89R5360 AND-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Meza H.B. No. 2531 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the reimbursement rate for meals provided under the |
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| 10 | 10 | | home-delivered meals program. |
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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 B, Chapter 526, Government Code, as |
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| 13 | 13 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 526.0060 to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 526.0060. HOME-DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENT |
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| 16 | 16 | | RATE; ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT. (a) In this section, "home-delivered |
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| 17 | 17 | | meals program" means the program administered by the commission |
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| 18 | 18 | | under which a contracted provider agency delivers meals to certain |
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| 19 | 19 | | eligible individuals, including: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) recipients receiving services under the STAR+PLUS |
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| 21 | 21 | | home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver program; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) individuals receiving community services and |
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| 23 | 23 | | supports under Title XX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. |
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| 24 | 24 | | Section 1397 et seq.); and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) individuals receiving services from area agencies |
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| 26 | 26 | | on aging under the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Section |
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| 27 | 27 | | 3001 et seq.). |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) Subject to Subsection (c), the executive commissioner |
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| 29 | 29 | | by rule shall increase the reimbursement rate ceiling prescribed |
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| 30 | 30 | | for a meal provided under the home-delivered meals program to $10 |
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| 31 | 31 | | per meal. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) Not later than October 1 of each year, the reimbursement |
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| 33 | 33 | | rate ceiling for a meal provided under the home-delivered meals |
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| 34 | 34 | | program must be adjusted to reflect the change in the Consumer Price |
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| 35 | 35 | | Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of |
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| 36 | 36 | | Labor Statistics or its successor index during the preceding fiscal |
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| 37 | 37 | | year. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 39 | 39 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 40 | 40 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 41 | 41 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 42 | 42 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 43 | 43 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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