86R13688 MM-D
 
  By: Rodríguez S.B. No. 1752
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to all
  persons for whom federal matching money is available.
         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 32.02472 to read as follows:
         Sec. 32.02472.  EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL
  ASSISTANCE. (a) 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.
         (b)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
  to implement this section.
         (c)  The commission, in cooperation with the comptroller and
  Legislative Budget Board, shall conduct a study regarding the cost
  effects of the expanded eligibility.  The study must identify:
               (1)  the estimated amount of health care costs hospital
  districts and counties in this state will save each state fiscal
  year by expanding that eligibility; and
               (2)  the estimated reduction in uncompensated care
  costs to hospital districts and counties that will result from the
  expansion of medical assistance eligibility and that would
  otherwise be paid from hospital district and county tax revenue.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Section 26.0443 to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.0443.  TAX RATE ADJUSTMENT FOR EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY
  FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UNDER FEDERAL LAW. In the first tax year in
  which a hospital district or a county adopts a tax rate and in which
  the state expands eligibility for medical assistance in accordance
  with and provides medical assistance using federal matching money
  made available under federal law as required by Section 32.02472,
  Human Resources Code, the effective tax rate and the rollback tax
  rate for the hospital district or the county are decreased by the
  rate that, if applied to current total value, would impose an amount
  of taxes equal to the reduction in uncompensated care costs
  realized by the hospital district or county as identified under
  Section 32.02472(c)(2), Human Resources Code, that will result from
  the provision of that assistance.
         SECTION 3.  Section 32.02472, 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 4.  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 32.02472, Human
  Resources Code, as added by this Act, including notifying
  appropriate federal agencies of that expanded eligibility.
         SECTION 5.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
  a state agency determines that any other 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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.