AUSTIN - Three “Craddick D” lawmakers from the Rio Grande Valley say they fended off Republican opposition to get a Children's Health Insurance Program bill out of committee.

HB 109, authored by Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, will be debated on the House floor on Monday.

In a joint news release, Reps. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, and Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, said negotiations to get Turner’s bill out of the Human Services Committee were “touch and go.”

The lawmakers, known as Craddick Ds because of their support for Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said they also had to get the bill past “past opponents” on the powerful Calendars Committee.

"This bill nearly died in both committees, but we have been able to help push it along and we look forward to a vigorous debate when it comes to the House Floor on Monday," said Guillen, a member of the Calendars Committee.

Turner’s bill cleared the Human Services Committee by a vote of 8-1 ten days ago.

The three South Texas lawmakers said that only happened “after behind the scenes negotiations provided bipartisan support which previous efforts to reinstate funding and benefits have lacked.”

The federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The Texas CHIP program was created in 1999 under SB 445 with broad bi-partisan support.

The program is designed for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance for their children. CHIP provides eligible children with coverage for a full range of health services including regular checkups, immunizations, prescription drugs, lab tests, X-rays, hospital visits and more.

In 2003, legislation from former Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, a Republican from Burleson, limited continuous eligibility within the CHIP program to six months, introduced a stiffer means test, and reduced state funding.

Since the 2003 reforms, the number of children covered by CHIP has dropped by 200,000.

In January 2003, CHIP enrollment stood at 22,483 in El Paso County, 28,958 in Hidalgo County, and 13,412 in Cameron County. Within 15 months, the respective numbers had dropped to 11,752, 16,650, and 7,992. Since then, enrollment has risen slightly.

As of January 2007, only 321,815 Texas children were enrolled. At its peak, in 2002, CHIP served more than 500,000 Texas children.

Among other things, HB 109 eliminates the 90-day waiting period for coverage to begin, doubles the period of eligibility from 6 months to 12 months, and substantially reforms the assets test.

Total allowable asset value would be raised from $5,000 to $10,000, a parent’s child care expenses would be considered in calculating net income level, and an increase in vehicle values would be incorporated. Turner’s bill also restores community outreach.

“These changes in eligibility requirements, including allowing working parents once again to deduct their child care expenses from their income, will go a long way toward getting many children who were unfairly dropped from the CHIP rolls reinstated,” said Peña, a co-author of Turner’s bill.

The news release from Guillen, Peña, and Lucio acknowledges that some Republicans want the six-month eligibility rule maintained. Lucio said reverting back to a one-year sign-up was crucial.

“Studies and reports from doctors and medical groups have shown that that 12-month cycle is a much better situation for these low-income families and for the children,” Lucio said.

Guillen said an aspect of Turner’s bill that changes the asset test to allow for an increase in vehicle values was also important.

“In rural areas of Texas, where there is no adequate public transportation, counting the value of an auto against a family makes no sense because they have to have a car to go to work,” Guillen said. 

All border lawmakers are backing Turner’s bill.

“Assisting families' maintain the health of their children is one of my goals here in Austin,” said Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco. “I hope legislation will be passed so that all Texas children will have an opportunity to receive the health care they need and deserve.”

Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen, pointed to data collected by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission which showed that the state of Texas left unspent $400 million in state funds dedicated for CHIP and Children's Medicaid.

Gonzales said those dollars could easily cover every child that has lost CHIP coverage since 2003.

“Providing health coverage for our children is one of my top priorities,” Gonzales said. “I believe we must put our children and our families first. Lets remember CHIP is not free; it was created to help families who are helping themselves.”

Martinez and Gonzales are not Craddick Ds.

Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, blasted GOP members on the Human Services Committee for voting for the CHIP bill.

Sullivan said that with the exception of Rep. Tan Parker, a freshman Republican from Flower Mound, the GOP members had “retreated” from conservative principles.

“Liberals in the Capitol are rejoicing. Taxpayers are now again on the hook for even more bad spending and bad policy in the weeks, months and years ahead,” Sullivan said.