| 1 | 1 | | 89R2215 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Alvarado, et al. S.B. No. 255 |
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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 expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | individuals under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable |
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| 11 | 11 | | Care Act. |
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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 32, Human Resources Code, |
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| 14 | 14 | | is amended by adding Section 32.02473 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 32.02473. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE |
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| 16 | 16 | | UNDER PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. (a) |
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| 17 | 17 | | Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall provide medical |
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| 18 | 18 | | assistance to all individuals who apply for that assistance and for |
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| 19 | 19 | | whom federal matching money is available under the Patient |
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| 20 | 20 | | Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148), as |
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| 21 | 21 | | amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (Pub. L. No. 111-152), to provide that assistance. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules regarding |
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| 24 | 24 | | the provision of medical assistance as required by this section. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Section 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added |
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| 26 | 26 | | by this Act, applies only to an initial determination or |
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| 27 | 27 | | recertification of eligibility of an individual for medical |
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| 28 | 28 | | assistance under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, made on or after |
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| 29 | 29 | | the date the section is implemented, regardless of the date the |
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| 30 | 30 | | individual applied for that assistance. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. As soon as possible after the effective date of |
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| 32 | 32 | | this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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| 33 | 33 | | Services Commission shall take all necessary actions to expand |
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| 34 | 34 | | eligibility for medical assistance under Chapter 32, Human |
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| 35 | 35 | | Resources Code, in accordance with Section 32.02473, Human |
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| 36 | 36 | | Resources Code, as added by this Act, including notifying |
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| 37 | 37 | | appropriate federal agencies of that expanded eligibility. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 39 | 39 | | a state agency determines that any other waiver or authorization |
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| 40 | 40 | | from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that |
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| 41 | 41 | | provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the |
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| 42 | 42 | | waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision |
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| 43 | 43 | | until the waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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