HBA-DMD, NLM H.B. 3693 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3693
By: Hunter
Human Services
7/30/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 76th Legislature, regulations allowed the Department of Humans
Services to license Medicaid beds that were committed to the care of
patients with Alzheimer's  and were affiliated with a medical school
operated by the state, were engaged in research, and that separated
patients according to the  stage of the disease and the functional level of
the patient. However, there were no provisions allowing for care of
traditional nursing home patients under similar circumstances. The purpose
of this bill is to allow for a portion of  the traditional nursing beds to
be designated as Medicaid to adequately and fairly treat all segments of
the geriatric population. 

H.B. 3693 authorizes the department to exempt a nursing facility from the
procedures established under this section if the facility is affiliated
with a state-supported medical school, located on land owned or controlled
by the school, and serves as teaching facility for physicians and related
health care professionals.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 32.0213, Human Resources Code, by adding
Subsection (c), as follows: 

(c) Authorizes the Health and Human Services Commission to exempt a nursing
facility from the procedures established under this section if the facility
is affiliated with a state-supported medical school, located on land owned
or controlled by the school, and serves as a teaching facility for
physicians and related health care professionals.  

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.