SB 921: Sparks Medicaid Bill Bans Auto-Renewal Unless Federal Law Requires It

Caption

relating to a prohibition on conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility.

Summary

The ban can wait for a federal waiver. No waiver, maybe no ban.

The bill bars the Health and Human Services Commission and other state agencies from automatically renewing a person's Medicaid coverage using electronic data without asking the person for information. It touches every Texas Medicaid recipient and the agencies that run Medicaid renewals, but it exempts cases where federal law expressly requires automatic renewal. The commission must seek any needed federal waiver within 180 days and may hold off on the ban until that waiver is granted.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 9, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Human Services committee 9-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB921 · 2025-01-24

SOLD BY

Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

ITEM

relating to a prohibition on conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility.

WHAT IT DOES

The ban can wait for a federal waiver. No waiver, maybe no ban.

The bill bars the Health and Human Services Commission and other state agencies from automatically renewing a person's Medicaid coverage using electronic data without asking the person for information. It touches every Texas Medicaid recipient and the agencies that run Medicaid renewals, but it exempts cases where federal law expressly requires automatic renewal. The commission must seek any needed federal waiver within 180 days and may hold off on the ban until that waiver is granted.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 45%

THE TEXT

“Except as expressly required by federal law”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The ban yields wherever federal law requires automatic renewal, so how much the ban actually covers depends on federal rules the bill does not spell out. Based on general knowledge, federal rules do require automatic renewal attempts for many Medicaid groups, which could swallow much of the main case.

[x] DELAYED STARTanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

“The commission may delay implementing that section until the waiver or authorization is granted.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The ban's real start is tied to an uncertain federal approval rather than a fixed date. If the waiver is never granted, the ban may never take effect.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · March 27, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Jan 24, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Jan 24, 2025Filed
Feb 13, 2025Read first time
Feb 13, 2025Referred to Health & Human Services
Mar 11, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 11, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 11, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Mar 11, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 26, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 26, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 31, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Mar 31, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 1, 2025Corrected comm. report printed & distributed
Apr 2, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 7, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
Apr 8, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 8, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 8, 2025Record vote
Apr 8, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 8, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 9, 2025Passed
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 10, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 17, 2025Read first time
Apr 17, 2025Referred to Human Services
Apr 25, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 25, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 30, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 30, 2025Committee report distributed
May 1, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 23, 2025Considered in Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 19 yea · 11 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 9, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Kevin Sparks

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KKyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000Tim Dunn$25,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 25, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Kyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000.00

Tim Dunn$25,000.00

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Votes4

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 19
Nay: 11
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 19 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 19
Nay: 11
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Sparks moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 921 at this time on its third reading and final passage: CSSB 921, Relating to conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 11.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 19 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 19
Nay: 11
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 19 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 19
Nay: 11
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Sparks moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 921 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 921, Relating to conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 11.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 19 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses11

For: 3
Against: 5
On: 3

Names

For

FGA Action1 registration
Self; Americans for Prosperity1 registration
Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration

Against

Every Texan1 registration
Self; Coalition of Texans with Disabilities1 registration
Texans Care for Children1 registration
Texas Medical Association1 registration
Texas Pediatric Society1 registration

On

Health and Human Services Commission1 registration
Texas 20362 registrations

Sources

11 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · March 27, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Jan 24, 2025

05/23/2025 H Considered in Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 2:05 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Companion

HB 2865 by Noble (identical)

Subjects

Electronic Information Systems

Human Services--Medical Assistance

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

MEDICAID

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 248 words

89R4788 AND-F

By: Sparks
S.B. No. 921

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a prohibition on conducting an ex parte renewal of a

recipient's Medicaid eligibility.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 532, Government Code, as

effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 532.0456 to

read as follows:

Sec. 532.0456. EX PARTE RENEWALS PROHIBITED. (a) In this

section, "ex parte renewal" means a redetermination of a

recipient's Medicaid eligibility that is conducted automatically

without requiring information from the recipient using information

from verifiable electronic data sources or that is otherwise

available to the commission.

(b) Except as expressly required by federal law, the

commission or a state agency that administers any part of Medicaid

may not conduct an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid

eligibility.

SECTION 2. Not later than the 180th day after the effective

date of this Act, the Health and Human Services Commission shall

seek any waiver or authorization from a federal agency necessary to

implement Section 532.0456, Government Code, as added by this Act.

The commission may delay implementing that section until the waiver

or authorization is granted.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: Smells

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Senate Apr 8, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion