By: Martinez Fischer	H.B. No. 116

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to expanding eligibility for benefits under the Medicaid
	program
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, is amended by
	adding Subchapter H to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER H. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
	Sec. 32.351.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
	(1)  "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
	Commission.
	(2)  "Executive commissioner" means the executive
	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
	Sec. 32.352.  EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
	UNDER PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.  (a)
	Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall provide medical
	assistance to all persons who apply for that assistance and for whom
	federal matching funds are available under the Patient Protection
	and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148) as amended by the
	Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L.
	No. 111-152) to provide that assistance.
	(b)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules regarding
	the provision of medical assistance as required by this section.
	SECTION 2.  Section 32.352, Human Resources Code, as added
	by this article, applies only to an initial determination or
	recertification of eligibility of a person for medical assistance
	under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, made on or after January 1,
	2016, regardless of the date the person applied for that
	assistance.
	SECTION 3.  As soon as possible after the effective date of
	this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
	Services Commission shall take all necessary actions to expand
	eligibility for medical assistance under Chapter 32, Human
	Resources Code, beginning January 1, 2016, and in accordance with
	Section 32.352, Human Resources Code, as added by this article,
	including notifying appropriate federal agencies of that expanded
	eligibility.
	SECTION 4.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
	waiver or authorization is granted.
	SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.