A new bill authored by State Rep. Hickland in the Texas House seeks to update procedures for payment recovery under Medicaid and enhance due process protections for providers, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on City Government, County Government, and Taxation category, introduced as HB 159 during the 89(1) legislative session on Monday, July 21, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to efficiency audits for certain political subdivisions’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill modifies procedures for payment recovery and recoupment under Medicaid and the child health plan program, with changes taking effect April 1, 2025. It mandates the executive commissioner to adopt rules for managed care organizations to follow due process procedures for payment recovery efforts. Providers using electronic visit verification must receive written notice before overpayment recovery begins, and a minimum of 60 days is granted for providers to correct claim defects. Managed care organizations may not review medical necessity determinations or errors in claim documentation not made by providers. Additionally, a program is to be established to contract recovery audit contractors for identifying and recovering Medicaid payment discrepancies. This act takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.
Hillary Hickland, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs, proposed another three bills during the 89(1) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on S/C on Defense & Veterans’ Affairs, a member of the House Committee on Redistricting, and a member of the House Committee on Ways & Means.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(1) | HB 158 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to the repeal of provisions providing for the calculation of an unused increment rate and the use of that rate in calculating certain other ad valorem tax rates |
| 89(1) | HB 88 | 07/14/2025 | Relating to a court order for retroactive child support, including for retroactive child support beginning on the date of the child’s conception |
| 89(1) | HB 87 | 07/14/2025 | Relating to the use by a school district or a school district employee of public funds for lobbying activities |
| 89(R) | HB 5024 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the regulation of cigarettes and tobacco products, including the definitions of cigarettes and tobacco products |
| 89(R) | HB 4978 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the creation of municipal utility districts in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality |
| 89(R) | HB 4689 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way |
| 89(R) | HB 4631 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the preliminary investigation conducted when a child is referred to juvenile court |
| 89(R) | HB 4466 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to restrictions on the fee assessed for issuance of certain birth records |
| 89(R) | HB 4448 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to an automated artificial intelligence review of library material purchased by public schools; providing an administrative penalty |
| 89(R) | HB 4447 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to information that a property owners’ association must file with the Texas Real Estate Commission; authorizing an administrative penalty |
| 89(R) | HB 4387 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the eligibility of a person to serve on a civilian oversight board |
| 89(R) | HB 4191 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to adjustments in the appraised value of a residence homestead |
| 89(R) | HB 3990 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to the display of flags by a building owned or operated by the state, a municipality, or a county |
| 89(R) | HB 3909 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to the use of a wireless communication device at a polling place |
| 89(R) | HB 3598 | 03/03/2025 | Relating to prohibiting a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services from declining a placement |
| 89(R) | HB 3597 | 03/03/2025 | Relating to public hearing requirements for issuing a license for or expanding certain residential child-care facilities |
| 89(R) | HB 3222 | 02/24/2025 | Relating to school district policies, appeals to the commissioner of education, and reporting on settlement agreements entered into by a public school |
| 89(R) | HB 3148 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to the automatic admission of students to general academic teaching institutions |
| 89(R) | HB 3147 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to fiscal reporting by public schools |
| 89(R) | HB 3013 | 02/19/2025 | Relating to a restriction on the use of public money by a school district regarding the passage of a bond proposal |
| 89(R) | HB 2894 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to the provision of state aid to certain local governments disproportionately affected by the granting of ad valorem tax relief to disabled veterans |
| 89(R) | HB 2569 | 02/07/2025 | Relating to the applicability of certain parental notification requirements to school districts of innovation |
| 89(R) | HB 2449 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to discovery requirements for pro se defendants in a criminal case |
| 89(R) | HB 2444 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harmful communication to a minor |
| 89(R) | HB 2443 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to prepare a report regarding public education mandates |
| 89(R) | HB 2028 | 01/23/2025 | Relating to the Internet and other electronic posting of notices and agendas for meetings under the open meetings law |
| 89(R) | HB 1985 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to the age limit for a beginning position in a fire department under municipal civil service |
| 89(R) | HB 1983 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to creating the criminal offense of child endangerment involving smuggling across an international border |
| 89(R) | HB 1981 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to the use of public resources by a public school officer or employee to engage in certain political activities |
| 89(R) | HB 1980 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to a court order for retroactive child support, including for retroactive child support beginning on the date of the child’s conception |
| 89(R) | HB 1742 | 01/06/2025 | Relating to protesting changes to municipal zoning regulations and boundaries |
| 89(R) | HB 1551 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the notification of parents of students enrolled in public school regarding certain alleged criminal conduct by an employee |
| 89(R) | HB 1549 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to restrictions on the sale of obscene devices; providing a civil penalty |
| 89(R) | HB 1512 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to reporting the number of children known or reasonably believed to not be citizens of the United States enrolled in a public school and to requesting reimbursement from the United States government for the cost of educating those children |
| 89(R) | HB 1511 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to adopt or enforce a juvenile curfew; creating criminal offenses |
| 89(R) | HB 1509 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to the offense of failure to stop or report aggravated sexual assault of a child; increasing a criminal penalty |
| 89(R) | HB 1465 | 11/25/2024 | Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of invasive visual recording and the applicability of sex offender registration requirements to that offense |
| 89(R) | HB 1435 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to an expedited response by a governmental body to a request for public information |
| 89(R) | HB 1434 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to affirmative defenses to prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children |
| 89(R) | HB 1433 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to efficiency audits for certain political subdivisions |
| 89(R) | HB 1314 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to price estimates and billing requirements for certain health care facilities |
| 89(R) | HB 1313 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the use by a school district or a school district employee of public funds for lobbying activities |
| 89(R) | HB 1312 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to a person submitting proof of citizenship to verify eligibility to vote in Texas |
| 89(R) | HB 1311 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to a limitation on rules, bylaws, and policies adopted by a school district’s board of trustees |
| 89(R) | HB 1310 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to an annual report on the costs to this state and political subdivisions of providing health care services to foreign patients |
| 89(R) | HB 1309 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the applicability of the law governing the provision of state aid to certain local governments disproportionately affected by the granting of ad valorem tax relief to disabled veterans and to the effect of the receipt of such aid on the maintenance and operations ad valorem tax rate of a local government |
