HBA-MPM H.B. 670 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 670
By: Wise
Public Health
2/24/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, Texas veterans must pay a fee to receive copies of
medical records needed to support claims for federal veterans' benefits.
Copies of these records are required to be included when a veteran files
for disability benefits.  Several other classes of Texans are 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 (Veteran's Benefits Part II - General Benefits,
Compensation for Service-Connected Disability or Death, General,
Definitions) and 38 U.S.C., Section 1501 (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 for assistance for a patient
or former patient, or an appeal relating to denial of those benefits or
assistance, is based.  Sets forth that a fee may not be charged for
requests for medical records under these statutes.  38 U.S.C., Section 1101
defines "veteran," "period of war," "chronic disease," and "tropical
disease."  38 U.S.C., Section 1501 defines "Indian Wars," "World War I,"
"Civil War veteran," and "period of war." 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.