HB5242 - Relating to the categorization, collection, and publication of demographic and other information pertaining to certain public benefits programs.

  89R9309 LRM-F     By: Vo H.B. No. 5242       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the categorization, collection, and publication of   demographic and other information pertaining to certain public   benefits programs.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 526, Government Code, as   effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Sections 526.0011 and   526.0012 to read as follows:           Sec.   526.0011.     COLLECTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. (a)   Subject to Subsection (e) and notwithstanding any other law, if the   commission or a health and human services agency collects the   demographic data of individuals who receive benefits under a health   benefits program administered by the commission or agency, as   applicable, the commission or agency, as applicable, shall, when   collecting data relating to the race or ethnic origin of an   individual, provide the individual the option to select or identify   appropriate categories and subcategories of race and ethnic origin,   including:                 (1)     American Indian or Alaska Native, with a write-in   box to state the specific group with which the person identifies,   such as Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian   Reservation of Montana, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat   Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, Aztec, Maya, or any   other subcategory with which the person identifies;                 (2)  Asian, including the following subcategories:                       (A)  Asian Indian;                       (B)  Chinese;                       (C)  Filipino;                       (D)  Korean;                       (E)  Pakistani;                       (F)  Vietnamese; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   Asian subcategory with which the person identifies, such as Hmong,   Afghan, or Japanese;                 (3)     Black or African American, including the following   subcategories:                       (A)  African American;                       (B)  Ethiopian;                       (C)  Haitian;                       (D)  Jamaican;                       (E)  Nigerian;                       (F)  Somali; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   Black or African American subcategory with which the person   identifies, such as Trinidadian, Tobagonian, Ghanian, or   Congolese;                 (4)     Hispanic or Latino, including the following   subcategories:                       (A)  Cuban;                       (B)  Dominican;                       (C)  Guatemalan;                       (D)  Mexican;                       (E)  Puerto Rican;                       (F)  Salvadoran; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   Hispanic or Latino subcategory with which the person identifies,   such as Colombian, Honduran, or Spaniard;                 (5)     Middle Eastern or North African, including the   following subcategories:                       (A)  Egyptian;                       (B)  Iranian;                       (C)  Iraqi;                       (D)  Israeli;                       (E)  Lebanese;                       (F)  Syrian; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   Middle Eastern or North African subcategory with which the person   identifies, such as Moroccan, Yemeni, or Kurdish;                 (6)     Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, including the   following subcategories:                       (A)  Chamorro;                       (B)  Fijian;                       (C)  Marshallese;                       (D)  Native Hawaiian;                       (E)  Samoan;                       (F)  Tongan; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander subcategory with which the   person identifies, such as Chuukese, Palauan, or Tahitian; and                 (7)  White, including the following subcategories:                       (A)  English;                       (B)  German;                       (C)  Irish;                       (D)  Italian;                       (E)  Polish;                       (F)  Scottish; and                       (G)     other, with a write-in box to state any other   White subcategory with which the person identifies, such as French,   Swedish, or Norwegian.           (b)     The commission shall ensure that each local entity,   including a local governmental entity, responsible for providing   demographic data to the commission or a health and human services   agency in connection with a public benefits program administered by   the commission or agency, as applicable, provides the data in the   manner prescribed by this section.           (c)     In collecting demographic data, the commission and each   health and human services agency shall provide individuals from   whom the data is sought the option to:                 (1)     select more than one category for race or ethnic   origin;                 (2)     select more than one subcategory for race or   ethnic origin; and                 (3)  write in a race or ethnic origin not listed.           (d)     The provision of demographic data under this section by   an individual is voluntary.           (e)     Not later than the first anniversary of the date the   federal decennial census is published, the commission shall update   the subcategories of race or ethnic origin to include only the   subcategories with populations larger than 7,500 as published by   the United States Census Bureau, except that each category must   include at least the six largest subcategories.           (f)     The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary   to implement this section.           Sec.   526.0012.     COLLECTION AND CROSS-TABULATION ANALYSIS OF   CERTAIN DATA; PUBLICATION.   (a)   The commission and each health and   human services agency that administers a public benefits program   shall collect the following data regarding individuals who receive,   or were receiving at the time of the individual's death, benefits   under a program:                 (1)  the individual's level of English proficiency; and                 (2)  whether the individual:                       (A)  has a disability;                       (B)  has health benefits coverage;                       (C)     has been diagnosed with a chronic condition,   including cancer, obesity, diabetes, or asthma;                       (D)     has access to health care, including   preventive care services;                       (E)  has a diagnosed mental health disorder;                       (F)  is or has been pregnant;                       (G)     died as a result of a pregnancy-related   cause; and                       (H)  had a child who died as an infant.           (b)     To the extent permitted by federal law and if requested   by the commission, a local entity, including a local governmental   entity, responsible for providing demographic data to the   commission or a health and human services agency in connection with   a public benefits program administered by the commission or agency,   as applicable, shall report to the commission the data described by   Subsection (a) to the extent that data is known or obtainable by the   entity.           (c)     The commission shall prepare a cross-tabulation   analysis of the data described by Subsection (a) and the   demographic dat [Text truncated for display. 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