Reps. Julie Johnson and Jessica Gonzalez via Zoom earlier this week.
State Rep. Julie Johnson and state Sen. Nathan Johnson filed bills (HB 3871 and SB 117) that would create the new Live Well Texas Program. If passed, it would increase access to healthcare for Texans living below the poverty level and provide hospitals and Medicaid providers with relief for uncompensated care.
The bill would provide health insurance coverage to about 1.5 million low-income adults or about a third of the state’s uninsured non-elderly population. The program would terminate if the federal government takes away the 90-10 percent match or if the costs exceed the benefits. In addition, it encourages physician participation through reimbursement rate parity. The bills authors estimate it would generate billions in state and local revenue.
In other legislative news, Julie Johnson speaking via Zoom said HB 610 will come up before her Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 24. The bill would take away local control over things like non-discrimination ordinances. Johnson is a member of LGBT Caucus.
“We don’t need the state to usurp local control,” Johnson said.
Rep. Jessica Gonzalez said, “NDOs are all we have in Texas.”
Gonzalez is another member of the LGBT Caucus.
Around the country, 174 anti-LGBT bills have been filed. Of those, 30 have been filed in Texas. Johnson and Gonzalez said that number is double what was filed last session. Democrats were expected to flip the House, they said, and when they didn’t, Republicans felt emboldened to push anti-LGBT legislation this session.
To register a public comment on HB 610 that will be distributed to all committee members or on any bill before the legislature, click here.
— David Taffet
