[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 322 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 322

 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to assure coverage for 
legal immigrant children and pregnant women under the Medicaid Program 
       and the State children's health insurance program (SCHIP).


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2003

  Mr. Towns introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to assure coverage for 
legal immigrant children and pregnant women under the Medicaid Program 
       and the State children's health insurance program (SCHIP).

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Legal Immigrant Health Restoration 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF LEGAL IMMIGRANT PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN UNDER 
              THE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND SCHIP.

    (a) Medicaid Program.--Section 1903(v) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(4)(A) Notwithstanding sections 401(a), 402(b), 403, and 
        421 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
        Reconciliation Act of 1996, a State plan under this title shall 
        provide (in a plan amendment) medical assistance under this 
        title for aliens who are lawfully residing in the United States 
        (including battered aliens described in section 431(c) of such 
        Act) and who are otherwise eligible for such assistance, within 
        either of the following eligibility categories:
                    ``(i) Pregnant women.--Women during pregnancy (and 
                during the 60-day period beginning on the last day of 
                the pregnancy).
                    ``(ii) Children.--Children (as defined under such 
                plan), including optional targeted low-income children 
                described in section 1905(u)(2)(B).
            ``(B) No debt shall accrue under an affidavit of support 
        against any sponsor of an alien within a category of aliens 
        under subparagraph (A) on the basis of provision of assistance 
        to such category and the cost of such assistance shall not be 
        considered as an unreimbursed cost.''.
    (b) SCHIP.--Section 2107(e)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) 
as amended by section 803 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits 
Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, as enacted into law by section 
1(a)(6) of Public Law 106-554, is amended by redesignating 
subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraph (D) and (E), respectively, 
and by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Section 1903(v)(4) (relating to coverage of 
                categories of permanent resident alien children).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on October 1, 2003, and apply to medical assistance and child 
health assistance furnished on or after such date.
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