By: Bucy H.B. No. 72       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to certain   individuals under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable   Care Act.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter H to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER H. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE          Sec. 32.351.  EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE   UNDER PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. (a)   Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall provide medical   assistance to all individuals who apply for that assistance and for   whom federal matching funds are available under the Patient   Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. No. 111-148), as   amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010   (Pub. L. No. 111-152), to provide that assistance.          (b)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules regarding   the provision of medical assistance as required by this section.          Sec. 32.352.  ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR   MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. Not later than December 1 of each year, the   commission shall report to the governor, the lieutenant governor,   the speaker of the house of representatives, and the standing   committees of the senate and the house of representatives having   primary jurisdiction over the medical assistance program on the   effects of expanding eligibility for medical assistance under   Section 32.351, including the effects on:                (1)  the number of individuals in this state who do not   have health benefits coverage;                (2)  state health care costs, including costs relating   to programs funded with money appropriated out of the general   revenue fund;                (3)  local health care costs; and                (4)  charity care and uncompensated care costs for   hospitals.          SECTION 2.  Section 32.351, Human Resources Code, as added   by this Act, applies only to an initial determination or   recertification of eligibility of an individual for medical   assistance under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, made on or after   January 1, 2026, regardless of the date the individual applied for   that assistance.          SECTION 3.  As soon as possible after the effective date of   this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human   Services Commission shall take all necessary actions to expand   eligibility for medical assistance under Chapter 32, Human   Resources Code, in accordance with Section 32.351, Human Resources   Code, as added by this Act, including notifying appropriate federal   agencies of that expanded eligibility. If before implementing any   provision of this Act a state agency determines that any other   waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for   implementation of that provision, the agency affected by the   provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay   implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is   granted.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2026, but only   if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature,   First Called Session, 2025, requiring the state to expand   eligibility for Medicaid to all individuals for whom federal   matching funds are available under the federal Patient Protection   and Affordable Care Act is approved by the voters. If that   amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.