| 1 | 1 | | 89R1093 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson S.B. No. 657 |
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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 all |
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| 10 | 10 | | individuals for whom federal matching money is available. |
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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 32, Human Resources Code, |
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| 13 | 13 | | is amended by adding Section 32.02473 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 32.02473. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAID. The |
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| 15 | 15 | | executive commissioner shall prepare and seek a waiver to the state |
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| 16 | 16 | | Medicaid plan under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 |
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| 17 | 17 | | U.S.C. Section 1315) or other applicable federal law to expand to |
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| 18 | 18 | | the maximum extent permitted by federal law the categories of |
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| 19 | 19 | | individuals eligible for Medicaid benefits to include all |
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| 20 | 20 | | individuals for whom federal matching funds are available. The |
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| 21 | 21 | | waiver must be designed to: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) maximize the reduction in the number of uninsured |
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| 23 | 23 | | residents of this state; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) promote personal responsibility with respect to |
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| 25 | 25 | | health care; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) increase the efficiency of the delivery of health |
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| 27 | 27 | | care services; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) increase the accessibility of health care |
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| 29 | 29 | | services; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (5) reduce health care costs. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 32 | 32 | | of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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| 33 | 33 | | Services Commission shall apply for and actively pursue the waiver |
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| 34 | 34 | | required by Section 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added by |
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| 35 | 35 | | this Act, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or any |
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| 36 | 36 | | other federal agency. The commission may delay implementing Section |
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| 37 | 37 | | 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, until the |
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| 38 | 38 | | waiver applied for under this section is granted. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 40 | 40 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 41 | 41 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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