| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to early childhood intervention and rehabilitative and habilitative services.
According to the Legislative Budget Board, there would be a negative impact of ($1,672,003) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.
HB 12 would seek to provide additional support for providers of early childhood intervention (ECI) services by requiring the Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC) to, among other things: (1) designate an ombudsman for providers of services; (2) seek guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on reimbursement methodology; and (3) seek guidance from applicable federal partners regarding the feasibility of providing ECI Services under Medicaid to children who are otherwise ineligible to receive services under the Medicaid program.
Additionally, HB 12 would require HHSC to develop and implement a tele-connective pilot program to provide ECI services through tele-health and telemedicine in education service center regions.
Texas Action remains neutral on HB 12. While we do not support increased spending on services outside of the core function of government, such as a new ombudsman office for providers of ECI services, we do support the use and implementation of telehealth services (which we acknowledge is the reason behind a large portion of the fiscal note).