HBA-MPM H.B. 670 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 670 By: Wise Public Health 6/7/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 76th Legislative Session, Texas veterans were required to pay a fee to receive copies of medical records needed to support claims for federal veterans' benefits. Copies of these records were required to be included when a veteran filed for disability benefits. Several other classes of Texans were already exempted from this fee by statute. H.B. 670 exempts Texas veterans from the payment of fees for copies of medical records when applying for disability benefits or related assistance. 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 161.202(a), Health and Safety Code, to include 38 U.S.C., Section 1101 et seq., as amended (Veteran's Benefits Part II - General Benefits, Compensation for ServiceConnected Disability or Death, General, Definitions), or 38 U.S.C., Section 1501 et seq., as amended (Veteran's Benefits Part II - General Benefits, Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability or Death or for Service, General, Definitions), in the list of statutes under which an application for disability or other benefits or assistance for a patient or former patient, or an appeal relating to denial of those benefits or assistance, is based. Provides that a health care provider or health facility is not required to provide more than one complete record per patient or former patient requested under 38 U.S.C., Section 1101 or 38 U.S.C., Section 1501, without charge. Requires the health care provider or health facility, on request and if additional material is added to the patient or former patient's record, to supplement the record provided under these additional sections without charge. Provides that this provision does not affect a person's ability to receive a medical or mental health record under the following: _Chapter 31, Human Resources Code; _the state Medicaid program; _Title II, 42 U.S.C., Section 401 et seq. (Social Security Act), as amended; _Title XVI, 42 U.S.C., Section 1382 et seq. (Social Security Act), as amended; and _Title XVIII, 42 U.S.C., Section 1395 et seq. (Social Security Act), as amended. 38 U.S.C., Section 1101, as made applicable by this section, defines "veteran," "period of war," "chronic disease," and "tropical disease." 38 U.S.C., Section 1501, as made applicable by this section, defines "Indian Wars," "World War I," "Civil War veteran," and "period of war." SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.