Relating to an annual report on the financial impact on hospitals for providing certain uncompensated care.

89(R) HB 2587 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R25805 SCF-D

By: Olcott, et al.

H.B. No. 2587

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2587:

By: VanDeaver

C.S.H.B. No. 2587

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an annual report on the financial impact on hospitals

for providing certain uncompensated care.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 525, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 525.0304 to read as follows:

Sec.

525.0304.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FINANCIAL IMPACT ON

HOSPITALS PROVIDING UNCOMPENSATED CARE TO PERSONS NOT LAWFULLY

PRESENT.

(a)

In this section:

(1)

"Financial impact" means the costs incurred by a

hospital for providing health care services to a patient for which

the hospital does not receive payment in full for those services.

(2)

"Hospital" means an establishment licensed under

Chapter 241, Health and Safety Code, that:

(A) provides acute care services; and

(B)

is enrolled as a provider under Medicaid or

the child health plan program under Chapter 62, Health and Safety

Code.

(3)

"Person not lawfully present" means a person who

is not:

(A)

a citizen or national of the United States;

or

(B)

an alien who is lawfully admitted for

permanent residence in the United States under the federal

Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.) or

authorized to be employed by that Act or the United States attorney

general.

(b)

Not later than November 1 of each year, the commission

shall prepare and submit to the governor and the legislature a

written report for the preceding state fiscal year on the financial

impact on hospitals for providing health care services to patients

who were persons not lawfully present at the time health care

services were provided to those patients.

(c)

For purposes of preparing the report required by

Subsection (b), the executive commissioner by rule shall require

each hospital in this state to:

(1) include on the hospital's patient intake form:

(A)

a question regarding the patient's

citizenship or immigration status to determine if the patient is a

person not lawfully present; and

(B)

a statement that the patient's response to

that question will not affect any health care service provided to

the patient, as required by federal law; and

(2)

quarterly submit to the commission in the manner

and format prescribed by the commission a written report on:

(A)

the number of emergency room visits and

inpatient discharges the hospital provided or completed during the

preceding quarter for patients who were persons not lawfully

present at the time the hospital provided health care services to

the patients; and

(B)

the financial impact on the hospital during

the preceding quarter for providing health care services to the

patients who were persons not lawfully present at the time the

hospital provided health care services to the patients.

(d)

As required by federal law, a patient's response to the

question described by Subsection (c)(1)(A) may not affect the

health care services provided to the patient.

(e)

The commission shall ensure the reports required under

this section do not include any personal identifying information.

SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective

date of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human

Services Commission shall adopt the rules required by Section

525.0304, Government Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 525.0304, Government Code, as

added by this Act, the Health and Human Services Commission is not

required to submit the initial report required by that section

until December 1, 2026.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.