Bill Text: TX HB135 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to expanding eligibility for medical assistance to certain persons under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-09 - Filed [HB135 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB135-Introduced.html
| By: Guerra | H.B. No. 135 | |
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| relating to expanding eligibility for medical assistance to certain | ||
| persons under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care | ||
| Act. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 32.02473 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 32.02473. EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL | ||
| ASSISTANCE. (a) In this section, "medical assistance expansion | ||
| group" means the category of persons who would not be eligible for | ||
| medical assistance under the eligibility criteria in effect on | ||
| December 31, 2021, but who are eligible for that assistance because | ||
| of the requirement of this section. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall | ||
| provide medical assistance to all persons who apply for that | ||
| assistance and for whom federal matching money is available. | ||
| (c) This section does not establish an entitlement to | ||
| benefits under the medical assistance program for persons in the | ||
| medical assistance expansion group for whom federal matching money | ||
| is not available. Medical assistance benefits for persons in the | ||
| medical assistance expansion group terminate at the time federal | ||
| funding terminates 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), unless | ||
| a successor program providing federal funding is created. | ||
| (d) The executive commissioner shall adopt any rules | ||
| necessary to implement any changes in the provision of and | ||
| eligibility criteria for medical assistance required by this | ||
| section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 32.02473, Human Resources Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, 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 the date | ||
| the section is implemented, 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, in accordance with Section 32.02473, Human | ||
| Resources Code, as added by this Act, 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 on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
