HBA-RBT S.B. 1138 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1138
By: Wentworth
Public Health
4/30/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The 75th Legislature added a provision to the Texas Health and Safety Code
providing that a county with a joint county-city hospital can receive state
indigent care funds if the county spends at least 10 percent of the
county's general revenue tax levy to provide mandatory care services to
residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.006, Health and
Safety Code, for example, under state established eligibility standards.
Guadalupe and Medina counties were affected by this provision; Guadalupe
County is still ineligible to receive assistance from the Indigent Health
Care Fund because the county allows a higher income for ineligible
residents than does the state.  S.B. 1138 would provide state assistance to
certain counties that provide mandatory health care services, if the
Department of Health determines a county is eligible for 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 61.037(e), Health and Safety Code, to provide
that a county that provides mandatory health care services to certain
eligible residents is eligible for state assistance if a county spends, in
a state fiscal year, at least 10 percent of the county general revenue levy
for the year to provide mandatory health care services to its eligible
county residents who qualify for assistance under Section 61.052 (General
Eligibility Provisions), rather than Section 61.006 (Standards and
Procedures). 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 61.038(a), Health and Safety Code, to require
the Department of Health (department) to distribute funds appropriated to
the department from certain funds to assist a county in providing mandatory
health care services to its eligible county residents who qualify for
assistance as described by Section 61.037, if the department determines
that a county is eligible for assistance. 

SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective to January 1, 2000.  
                        Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.