Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 29	Senate Author:  Zaffirini
Effective:  See below	House Sponsor:  Branch

            Senate Bill 29 amends the Insurance Code to make an individual who is not eligible to participate in the group benefits program under the Texas Employees Group Benefits Act eligible to participate in that program if the individual holds either a postdoctoral fellowship or one or more graduate student fellowships awarded to the individual on a competitive basis that are valued at not less than $10,000 per year and the individual is currently receiving a stipend from an applicable fellowship.  The bill also makes a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student at a component institution of The University of Texas System or of The Texas A&M University System who is not otherwise eligible to participate in the uniform program under the State University Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act eligible to participate in that program under the same conditions.  The bill establishes contribution requirements for such eligible individuals and entitles an eligible individual to secure group coverage for a dependent, subject to certain exceptions in the case of group benefits program coverage under the Texas Employees Group Benefits Act.  The bill requires an institution of higher education to determine which individuals are eligible to participate in a program under the bill's provisions and to notify each eligible individual of the individual's eligibility to participate in the program at the time of initial eligibility.  The bill repeals a superseded provision making a postdoctoral fellow at a component institution of The University of Texas System or of The Texas A&M University System eligible to participate in the uniform program.  That repeal takes effect January 1, 2012; all other provisions take effect September 1, 2011.