Spotlight on Health Care Committees
House Human Services will meet on March 20 to take up several bill as part of the continuing state focus on childcare. 5 bills are set currently and include HB 1549 (Burkett) looking into abuse and neglect, fatalities, and child placement and HB 1524 (Muñoz) relating to transparency in the rate-setting processes.
House Public Health will meet on March 21 to take up 8 bills looking at mental health, telemonitoring services under Medicaid, and an extension of the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, among other issues.
On March 20, Senate Health & Human Services will meet to consider Sunset legislation for the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Board of Dental Examiners, Optometry Board, and Therapy Boards, as well as SB 316 (Hinojosa) and SB 1412 (Schwertner) concerning the powers and duties of prescribers.
Budget
This week both the Senate and House made final committee revisions on their budget bills for the upcoming biennium. After committee discussions, revisions will continue once the bill is taken up in the Chamber.
During the Senate Finance hearing on Thursday, March 16, the Legislative Budget Board noted a $1.4 billion increase in General Revenue appropriations for health care over the original filed Senate appropriations bill. The Senate adopted budget recommendations included contingencies for the expansion of Community-Based Care in Foster Care Redesign and a rider to allow for continued discussion deferred maintenance spending for state facilities.
In addition to considering general appropriations recommendations, House Appropriations took up the Supplemental Appropriations bill HB 2, which would see $2.6 billion in All Funds go towards the Medicaid and Correctional Managed Care shortfall, $188.6 million from the ESF for Health and Human Services critical safety needs, and $51.3 million for therapy service rates.