I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3675
To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to improve the
coverage of needy children under the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP) and the medicaid program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 5, 2002
Ms. DEGETTE (for herself, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. SERRANO, Mr.
HINCHEY, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. LEE,
Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. TOWNS,
Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. MCCARTHY of
New York, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BER-
MAN, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act
to improve the coverage of needy children under the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
and the medicaid program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT; TABLE OF
CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Improved Maternal and Children’s Health Coverage Act
of 2002’’.
(b) REFERENCES TO SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.—Ex-
cept as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act
an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision,
the reference shall be considered to be made to a section
or other provision of the Social Security Act.
(c) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; references in Act; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Simplified outreach and enrollment.
Sec. 3. Family friendly coverage and enrollment.
Sec. 4. Expanded coverage options.
SEC. 2. SIMPLIFIED OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT.
(a) USE OF UNIFORM APPLICATION AND COORDI-
NATED ENROLLMENT PROCESS.—
(1) SCHIP 
PROGRAM.—Section 2102 (42
U.S.C. 1397bb) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
‘‘(d) DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF UNIFORM APPLI-
CATION FORMS AND COORDINATED ENROLLMENT PROC-
ESS.—A State child health plan shall provide, by not later
than the first day of the first month that begins more than
6 months after the date of the enactment of this sub-
section, for—
‘‘(1) the development and use of a uniform, sim-
plified application form which is used both for pur-
poses of establishing eligibility for benefits under
this title and also under title XIX;
‘‘(2) an enrollment process that is coordinated
with that under title XIX so that a family need only
interact with a single agency in order to determine
whether a child is eligible for benefits under this
title or title XIX; and
‘‘(3) acceptance and timely response to tele-
phone inquiries and other electronic communications
received through the national toll-free system estab-
lished under section 3 of the Improved Maternal and
Children’s Health Coverage Act of 2002.’’.
(2) MEDICAID CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1902(a) (42
U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amended—
(i) by striking the period at the end of
paragraph (65) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and
(ii) by inserting after paragraph (65)
the following new paragraph:
‘‘(66) provide, by not later than the first day of
the first month that begins more than 6 months