Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2587 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R9308 SCF-D
2	2	By: Olcott H.B. No. 2587
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to an annual report on certain uncompensated hospital care
10	10	costs.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 525, Government Code, as
13	13	effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 525.0304 to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 525.0304. ANNUAL REPORT ON UNCOMPENSATED HOSPITAL CARE
16	16	PROVIDED TO PERSONS NOT LAWFULLY PRESENT. (a) In this section:
17	17	(1) "Person not lawfully present" means a person who
18	18	is not:
19	19	(A) a citizen or national of the United States;
20	20	or
21	21	(B) an alien who is lawfully admitted for
22	22	permanent residence in the United States under the federal
23	23	Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.) or
24	24	authorized to be employed by that Act or the United States attorney
25	25	general.
26	26	(2) "Uncompensated hospital care" means health care
27	27	services provided by a hospital to a patient for which the hospital
28	28	does not receive payment in full for those services.
29	29	(b) Not later than November 1 of each year, the commission
30	30	shall prepare and submit to the governor and the legislature a
31	31	written report for the preceding state fiscal year on:
32	32	(1) the cost of uncompensated hospital care incurred
33	33	by hospitals in this state to provide health care services to
34	34	patients who were persons not lawfully present at the time health
35	35	care services were provided to those patients; and
36	36	(2) the impact that incurring the costs described by
37	37	Subdivision (1) had on those hospitals.
38	38	(c) For purposes of preparing the report required by
39	39	Subsection (b), the executive commissioner by rule shall require
40	40	each hospital in this state that provides uncompensated hospital
41	41	care to:
42	42	(1) include on the hospital's patient intake form:
43	43	(A) a question regarding the patient's
44	44	citizenship or immigration status; and
45	45	(B) a statement that the patient's response to
46	46	that question will not affect any health care service provided to
47	47	the patient; and
48	48	(2) quarterly submit to the commission in the manner
49	49	and format prescribed by the commission a written report on:
50	50	(A) the number of patients who received health
51	51	care services from the hospital during the preceding quarter who
52	52	were persons not lawfully present at the time the hospital provided
53	53	health care services to the patients;
54	54	(B) the total cost of uncompensated hospital care
55	55	incurred by the hospital as a result of providing health care
56	56	services to the patients who were persons not lawfully present at
57	57	the time the hospital provided health care services to the
58	58	patients; and
59	59	(C) the impact on the hospital of providing
60	60	uncompensated hospital care to patients who were persons not
61	61	lawfully present at the time the hospital provided health care
62	62	services to the patients.
63	63	(d) A patient's response to the question described by
64	64	Subsection (c)(1)(A) may not affect the health care services
65	65	provided to the patient.
66	66	(e) The commission shall ensure the reports required under
67	67	this section do not include any personal identifying information.
68	68	SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
69	69	date of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
70	70	Services Commission shall adopt the rules required by Section
71	71	525.0304, Government Code, as added by this Act.
72	72	(b) Notwithstanding Section 525.0304, Government Code, as
73	73	added by this Act, the Health and Human Services Commission is not
74	74	required to submit the initial report required by that section
75	75	until November 1, 2027.
76	76	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.