Bill > S0248

This bill establishes a new definition for "lawfully residing child" to clarify eligibility for Florida's medical assistance programs, specifically the Florida Kidcare program, which provides health insurance for children. The bill amends existing laws to ensure that only children who are lawfully present in the United States and meet specific residency requirements are eligible for these programs, explicitly excluding undocumented immigrants from eligibility. It also clarifies that certain lawfully residing children, who might otherwise be ineligible for federal funding under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), can still receive optional Medicaid payments for medical assistance and related services, provided they meet other Medicaid eligibility criteria and are not undocumented immigrants. The bill also makes a technical change to the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act to align its eligibility criteria with the new definition of "lawfully residing child."