REPORT TITLE:
CHIP; immigrant children


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for health insurance for immigrant children.
(HB540 HD1)


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        540
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State's
 
 2 children's health insurance program, an expansion of Hawaii's
 
 3 medicaid program, deems legal immigrant children ineligible for
 
 4 health care coverage.
 
 5      The Urban Institute reports that fifteen states are
 
 6 currently using their own funds to provide assistance to at least
 
 7 some of their immigrant children.  Additionally, federal
 
 8 legislation has been introduced to amend the welfare reform law
 
 9 to provide states the option to allow, among other things, legal
 
10 immigrant children to be eligible for medical assistance under
 
11 the children's health insurance program.
 
12      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide
 
13 health insurance to immigrant children who would qualify for
 
14 benefits under the State's children's health insurance program
 
15 but who are ineligible due to rules imposed by federal law.
 
16      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
17 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $       or so much
 
18 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to provide
 
19 health insurance to non-citizen children who would qualify for
 
20 benefits under the State's children health insurance program, but 
 

 
Page 2                                                     540
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 are ineligible due to restricted eligibility rules imposed by
 
 2 title XXI of the Social Security Act in the federal Balanced
 
 3 Budget Act of 1997.
 
 4      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 5 department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
 6      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.