Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2925 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2987 KKR-D
2	2	By: Simmons H.B. No. 2925
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to a grant program for hospitals to assist with certain
10	10	costs incurred by families of chronically ill children receiving
11	11	hospital care.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 526, Government Code, as
14	14	effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 526.0061 to
15	15	read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 526.0061. GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOSPITALS TO ASSIST WITH
17	17	CERTAIN COSTS RELATED TO CARE PROVIDED TO CHRONICALLY ILL CHILDREN.
18	18	(a) In this section:
19	19	(1) "Grant program" means the grant program for
20	20	hospitals to assist with certain costs related to care provided to
21	21	chronically ill children established under this section.
22	22	(2) "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under Chapter
23	23	241, Health and Safety Code.
24	24	(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish and
25	25	the commission shall administer a grant program for hospitals to
26	26	assist families of chronically ill children with the costs of food
27	27	and parking while a child receives health care services related to
28	28	the child's chronic illness at a hospital.
29	29	(c) The rules adopted by the executive commissioner
30	30	establishing the grant program under this section must include
31	31	rules:
32	32	(1) prescribing eligibility criteria, application
33	33	procedures, and a scoring system for awarding grants under the
34	34	grant program to eligible hospitals; and
35	35	(2) designating the diagnoses considered chronic
36	36	illnesses for purposes of the grant program.
37	37	(d) A hospital may provide money awarded under the grant
38	38	program only:
39	39	(1) to a parent, guardian, or caretaker of a child who:
40	40	(A) is diagnosed with a chronic illness
41	41	designated by the executive commissioner; and
42	42	(B) meets the financial eligibility requirements
43	43	for Medicaid; and
44	44	(2) for the purpose of reimbursing the parent,
45	45	guardian, or caretaker for the actual costs incurred for parking at
46	46	and purchasing food from the hospital at which the chronically ill
47	47	child is hospitalized or otherwise receives care for the chronic
48	48	illness.
49	49	(e) The commission shall award grants as provided by this
50	50	section from available money, including money appropriated for the
51	51	purpose of the grant program.
52	52	(f) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations
53	53	from any source for the purpose of the grant program.
54	54	(g) Beginning on the first anniversary of the date a
55	55	hospital is awarded money under the grant program, the hospital
56	56	shall annually submit to the commission a written report detailing
57	57	the use of grant money the hospital received under the program and
58	58	related outcomes as determined by the executive commissioner.
59	59	(h) The commission shall review the grant program at least
60	60	once every four years and determine whether the program should be
61	61	continued or modified.
62	62	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
63	63	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
64	64	Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement Section
65	65	526.0061, Government Code, as added by this Act.
66	66	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.