By Davila                                             H.B. No. 1501
       74R25 PB-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to accessibility in the Spanish language to certain
    1-3  agent-licensing programs administered by the Texas Department of
    1-4  Insurance.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is
    1-7  amended by adding Article 21.01-3 to read as follows:
    1-8        Art. 21.01-3.  MATERIALS IN SPANISH REQUIRED
    1-9        Sec. 1.  APPLICATION.  This article applies to:
   1-10              (1)  the licensing of an individual under:
   1-11                    (A)  Section 4, Article 1.14-2, Insurance Code;
   1-12                    (B)  Section 7, Article 3.75, Insurance Code;
   1-13                    (C)  Article 9.36, 9.42, or 9.43, Insurance Code;
   1-14                    (D)  Section 6, Article 9.56, Insurance Code;
   1-15                    (E)  Section 15 or 15A, Texas Health Maintenance
   1-16  Organization Act (Section 20A.15 or 20A.15A, Vernon's Texas
   1-17  Insurance Code);
   1-18                    (F)  Article 21.07, Insurance Code;
   1-19                    (G)  Chapter 213, Acts of the 54th Legislature,
   1-20  Regular Session, 1955 (Article 21.07-1, Vernon's Texas Insurance
   1-21  Code);
   1-22                    (H)  Chapter 29, Acts of the 54th Legislature,
   1-23  Regular Session, 1955 (Article 21.07-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance
   1-24  Code);
    2-1                    (I)  the Managing General Agents' Licensing Act
    2-2  (Article 21.07-3, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code);
    2-3                    (J)  Chapter 407, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
    2-4  Regular Session, 1973 (Article 21.07-4, Vernon's Texas Insurance
    2-5  Code);
    2-6                    (K)  Article 21.07-6, Insurance Code;
    2-7                    (L)  the Reinsurance Intermediary Act (Article
    2-8  21.07-7, Insurance Code);
    2-9                    (M)  Article 21.09, Insurance Code;
   2-10                    (N)  Article 21.11, Insurance Code;
   2-11                    (O)  Article 21.14, Insurance Code;
   2-12                    (P)  Article 21.14-1, Insurance Code;
   2-13                    (Q)  Article 21.14-2, Insurance Code; or
   2-14                    (R)  Article 23.23, Insurance Code; and
   2-15              (2)  an examination administered by a testing service
   2-16  under Article 21.01-1, Insurance Code.
   2-17        Sec. 2.  ACCESSIBILITY OF SPANISH MATERIALS AND EXAMINATIONS.
   2-18  The department shall require that all examinations required for
   2-19  licensing as an insurance agent under a law subject to this article
   2-20  be offered in Spanish and English.  All written materials related
   2-21  to those examinations shall be available in Spanish and English.
   2-22        Sec. 3.  RULES.  The commissioner shall adopt rules as
   2-23  necessary to implement this article.
   2-24        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
   2-25  applies only to requirements for a licensing examination that is
   2-26  offered on or after that date through the Texas Department of
   2-27  Insurance.  An examination offered before that date is governed by
    3-1  the law in effect on the date the examination was offered, and the
    3-2  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
    3-3        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.