| 1 | 1 | | 89R6222 SCF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 962 |
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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 provision of certain benefits, including applied |
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| 10 | 10 | | behavior analysis, behavior supports, and associated evaluation |
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| 11 | 11 | | services, through telecommunications or information technology |
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| 12 | 12 | | under certain public benefits programs. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 548.0001(b), Government Code, as |
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| 15 | 15 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) To the extent permitted by federal law and to the extent |
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| 17 | 17 | | it is cost-effective and clinically effective, as the commission |
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| 18 | 18 | | determines, the commission shall ensure that Medicaid recipients, |
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| 19 | 19 | | child health plan program enrollees, and other individuals |
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| 20 | 20 | | receiving benefits under a public benefits program the commission |
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| 21 | 21 | | or a health and human services agency administers, regardless of |
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| 22 | 22 | | whether receiving benefits through a managed care delivery model or |
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| 23 | 23 | | another delivery model or under a Section 1915(c) waiver program, |
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| 24 | 24 | | have the option to receive services as telemedicine medical |
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| 25 | 25 | | services, telehealth services, or otherwise using |
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| 26 | 26 | | telecommunications or information technology, including the |
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| 27 | 27 | | following services: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) preventive health and wellness services; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) case management services, including targeted case |
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| 30 | 30 | | management services; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) subject to Subsection (c), behavioral health |
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| 32 | 32 | | services; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) occupational, physical, and speech therapy |
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| 34 | 34 | | services; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) applied behavior analysis, behavior supports, and |
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| 36 | 36 | | associated evaluation services; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (6) nutritional counseling services; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (7) [(6)] assessment services, including nursing |
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| 39 | 39 | | assessments under the following Section 1915(c) waiver programs: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (A) the community living assistance and support |
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| 41 | 41 | | services (CLASS) waiver program; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (B) the deaf-blind with multiple disabilities |
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| 43 | 43 | | (DBMD) waiver program; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (C) the home and community-based services (HCS) |
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| 45 | 45 | | waiver program; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (D) the Texas home living (TxHmL) waiver program. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 48 | 48 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 49 | 49 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 50 | 50 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 51 | 51 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 52 | 52 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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