| 1 | 1 | | 89R2984 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 179 |
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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 a public outreach and education campaign for |
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| 10 | 10 | | mixed-status families regarding eligibility for Medicaid and the |
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| 11 | 11 | | child health plan program. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 545, Government Code, as |
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| 14 | 14 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 545.0059 to |
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| 15 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 545.0059. PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN FOR MIXED-STATUS |
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| 17 | 17 | | FAMILIES ON MEDICAID AND CHILD HEALTH PLAN PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) In this section, "mixed-status family" means a family in which |
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| 19 | 19 | | one or more members is not a citizen or national of the United |
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| 20 | 20 | | States and one or more members is a citizen or national of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | United States. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The commission shall conduct a public outreach and |
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| 23 | 23 | | education campaign designed to educate and inform mixed-status |
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| 24 | 24 | | families about eligibility requirements under Medicaid and the |
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| 25 | 25 | | child health plan program. The campaign must: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) clearly explain the programs' eligibility |
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| 27 | 27 | | requirements relating to residency and citizenship status, |
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| 28 | 28 | | including the programs' eligibility requirements for citizens, |
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| 29 | 29 | | qualified aliens, and lawful permanent residents; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) inform individuals that a child's receipt of |
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| 31 | 31 | | benefits under a program will not affect the immigration status of |
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| 32 | 32 | | the child's parent; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) be tailored to the population targeted by the |
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| 34 | 34 | | campaign, including by providing information in English and Spanish |
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| 35 | 35 | | or another language spoken by the majority of the targeted |
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| 36 | 36 | | population; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) be disseminated through methods designed to reach |
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| 38 | 38 | | the targeted population, including by: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (A) distributing information and providing |
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| 40 | 40 | | presentations at health fairs; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) working with relevant organizations or |
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| 42 | 42 | | groups, including community clinics. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) To support the campaign conducted under this section, |
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| 44 | 44 | | the commission shall develop informational material about Medicaid |
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| 45 | 45 | | and child health plan program eligibility criteria relating to |
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| 46 | 46 | | residency and citizenship status that is: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) up-to-date; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) clear and easy to understand; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (3) made available in English and Spanish or another |
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| 50 | 50 | | language spoken by the majority of a targeted population. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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