Bill: HB 2835, 84(R) - 2015
Committee
House State Affairs
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Yes |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Positive |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Susan King
Bill Caption
Relating to the name of the program serving certain persons with special health care needs and prioritizing services provided under the program.
Fiscal Notes
According to DSHS, information technology costs for the Texas Medicaid Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) contractor to update its system could range from $645,000 to $1,290,000 for technology processes and would also include $456,100 for operational implementation. It is assumed that DSHS costs related to webpage updates, printing of materials and reprogramming systems to require citizenship documentation could be absorbed by DSHS within current resources. This estimate assumes indirect costs of $203,929 and the lower amount of the range for TMHP updates, for a total of $1,305,029 in General Revenue Funds in fiscal year 2016 to implement the provisions of the bill.
Technology
Technology costs account for $1.1 million of the total cost to implement the legislation.
Bill Analysis
The bill would amend Chapter 35, Health and Safety Code, to change the name of the Children with Special Health Care Needs Program to the Texas Special Health Care Needs Program. The bill would require that, to the extent allowed by federal law, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) give priority to persons on the program's waiting list who can provide proof of U.S. citizenship. The name change reflects that a small number of adults are also now served by this program.
Vote Recommendation Notes
5/23/2015 update:
No changes have been made to this legislation in the Senate committee. The Senate chamber sponsor is Kolkhorst.
First chamber recommendation:
At the time we published our report on this legislation we were neutral. However, upon further consideration, we support HB 2835. The costs mentioned in the fiscal note are far outweighed by the beneficial policy changes which will provide better service to eligible beneficiaries and ensure that lawful citizens of the United States receive services before those who are residing here unlawfully. For these reasons we support HB 2835 for making this program more efficient and ensuring that program benefits are appropriately prioritized.
