Bill Text: TX HB4234 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing an account to create a program to pay off certain outstanding debts attributed to medical expenses; making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-21 - Referred to Appropriations [HB4234 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4234-Introduced.html
| 88R14344 KBB-D | ||
| By: Talarico | H.B. No. 4234 | |
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| relating to establishing an account to create a program to pay off | ||
| certain outstanding debts attributed to medical expenses; making an | ||
| appropriation. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 403, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 403.1101 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 403.1101. MEDICAL DEBTS REPAYMENT ACCOUNT. (a) The | ||
| comptroller shall establish an account to create a program to pay | ||
| off for certain individuals who reside in this state outstanding | ||
| debts attributed to medical expenses. | ||
| (b) An individual is eligible to have outstanding medical | ||
| debts paid off only if the individual is a resident of this state | ||
| and has: | ||
| (1) a household income of 400 percent of the federal | ||
| poverty level or less; or | ||
| (2) debts attributed to medical expenses in a total | ||
| amount that exceeds five percent of the individual's annual income. | ||
| (c) In implementing the program, the comptroller shall work | ||
| directly with hospitals, debt collection agencies, and others to | ||
| purchase an individual's medical debts at a reduced price. | ||
| (d) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to | ||
| establish the account and to create the program to pay off | ||
| outstanding debts attributed to medical expenses. | ||
| SECTION 2. The amount of $100 million is appropriated from | ||
| the general revenue fund to the comptroller of public accounts of | ||
| the State of Texas for the state fiscal biennium beginning | ||
| September 1, 2023, to provide the payments required by Section 1 of | ||
| this Act and to pay costs incurred by the comptroller in | ||
| facilitating the program established under that section. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
