By Averitt                                            H.B. No. 3001
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  providing for a penalty for certain fraudulent activity in the
    1-3  business of insurance.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Texas Penal Code Title 7 Subchapter D is amended
    1-6  by adding a new section 32.56 to read as follows:
    1-7        SECTION 32.56.  A person commits a Class A misdemeanor if
    1-8  such person presents or causes to be presented to any insurer or
    1-9  any agent, or prepares or assists in the preparation with knowledge
   1-10  or belief that it will be so presented, a written statement or
   1-11  document, including a computer generated document or electronically
   1-12  transmitted document, or oral statement that contains false or
   1-13  misleading information or a material and misleading omission
   1-14  concerning:
   1-15              (1)  an application for the issuance of an insurance
   1-16  policy
   1-17              (2)  the rating of an insurance policy
   1-18              (3)  a claim for payment, reimbursement, or benefits
   1-19  payable under an insurance policy to an insured or a beneficiary
   1-20              (4)  a claim for reimbursement, or payment of damages
   1-21  against a liability insurance policy which would indemnify another
   1-22  person, business, corporation, or governmental entity against
   1-23  financial loss.
    2-1        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    2-2        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.