House bill to partially restore CHIP survives key test
Members just rejected a move by Reps. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, and Frank Corte, R-San Antonio, to keep Texas' current requirement that low-income families renew coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Program every six months.
A bipartisan bill that is nearing passage in the House -- though with uncertain prospects in the Senate -- would return to annual renewals.
The Gattis-Corte amendment would have allowed one year of continuous coverage -- so the state could correct problems with privately run call centers that are being used for social program signups. It would have thereafter gone back to renewals every six months -- as has been the case since budget cuts and rule changes in 2003.
House members killed the idea -- and stood by annual renewals -- by a vote of 91-49.
Joining Democrats to table the amendment were 24 Republicans, including these Dallas-Fort Worth area members: Dan Branch, Kirk England, Charlie Geren, Tony Goolsby, Linda Harper-Brown, Jodie Laubenberg, Jerry Madden, Brian McCall, Anna Mowery, Todd Smith and Vicki Truitt.