(a) The commission shall establish a pilot project in at least one urban area of this state to determine the feasibility, costs, and benefits of accepting, for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits under state and federal health and human services programs administered by the commission, the direct importation of electronic eligibility information from an electronic system operated by a regional safety net provider collaborative organization.
(a-1) Not later than September 1, 2010, the commission shall expand the pilot project to at least one additional urban area of this state if the commission has implemented the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) in the area selected for the expansion.
(b) An area selected for the pilot project under this section must possess a functioning safety net provider collaborative organization that includes a network of providers and assesses eligibility for health and human services programs using electronic systems. The electronic systems used by the collaborative organization must be able to interface with electronic systems managed by the commission to enable the commission to import application and eligibility information regarding applicants for health and human services programs.
(c) In establishing a pilot project under this section, the commission shall:
(1) create a project in which regional indigent care networks interface with the commission through the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) or another state electronic eligibility system, as appropriate, to share electronic applications for indigent care created by the care network with the commission to facilitate enrollment in health and human services programs administered by the commission;
(2) automatically import the application information submitted under Subdivision (1) with minimal human intervention to eliminate double data entry and data entry errors and to ensure most appropriate use of commission resources while maintaining program integrity;
(3) solicit and obtain support for the project from local officials and indigent care providers;
(4) ensure that all identifying and descriptive information of recipients in each health and human services program included in the project can only be accessed by providers or other entities participating in the project; and
(5) ensure that the storage and communication of all identifying and descriptive information included in the project complies with existing federal and state privacy laws governing individually identifiable information for recipients of public benefits programs.
(d) In implementing the project under Subsection (c), the commission shall review and process applications in a timely manner and, to the extent allowed by federal law and regulations, work directly with each organization to obtain missing documents and resolve issues that impede enrollment. Each organization must be authorized by the applicant to receive information concerning the applicant directly from the commission.
(e) Repealed by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312, Sec. 99(15), eff. September 1, 2013.

Text of section effective until April 01, 2025