H.B. No. 3305 aims to establish a County Health Care Provider Participation Program in certain Texas counties that lack a hospital district. The bill introduces Chapter 292F to the Health and Safety Code, defining terms such as "institutional health care provider" and "paying provider." It sets eligibility criteria for counties based on population and geography, allowing them to collect mandatory payments from institutional health care providers to create a local provider participation fund. This fund can be used for Medicaid payments and administrative expenses. The program requires the commissioners court to authorize participation through a majority vote and mandates public hearings to discuss payment amounts and their uses.

The bill also includes provisions for the assessment and collection of mandatory payments, capping annual revenue for administrative expenses at $150,000 plus collateralization costs. It prohibits providers from passing these payments onto patients and allows counties to collect or contract for these assessments, with any collection fees going to the county general fund. Additionally, the bill emphasizes compliance with federal requirements for matching funds and restricts counties from using collected payments for general revenue. Any remaining funds in the local provider participation fund must be returned to institutional health care providers after the program's expiration on December 31, 2030. The act will take effect immediately with a two-thirds vote or on September 1, 2025, if that vote is not achieved.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 300.0155 (Health and Safety Code 300)
House Committee Report: (Health and Safety Code 300)
Engrossed: (Health and Safety Code 300)