1-1  By:  Harris                                            S.B. No. 514
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed February 9, 1995; February 13, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
    1-4  April 11, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
    1-5  Nays 0; April 11, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the availability of health insurance for certain
    1-9  children the subject of a child support order.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Section 14.061, Family Code, is amended by
   1-12  amending Subsection (b) and by adding Subsection (s) to read as
   1-13  follows:
   1-14        (b)  In determining the manner in which health insurance for
   1-15  the child is to be provided, the court shall consider the following
   1-16  factors:
   1-17              (1)  if health insurance is available and accessible
   1-18  for the child through the obligor's employment or membership in a
   1-19  union, trade association, or other organization, the court shall
   1-20  order the obligor to include the child in the obligor's health
   1-21  insurance unless either party shows good cause why such an order
   1-22  would not be in the best interest of the child; or
   1-23              (2)  if health insurance is not available for the child
   1-24  through the obligor's employment but is available and accessible
   1-25  for the child through the obligee's employment or membership in a
   1-26  union, trade association, or other organization, the court may
   1-27  order the obligee to provide health insurance for the child and, in
   1-28  such event, shall order the obligor to pay in <an> additional child
   1-29  support to be withheld from disposable earnings under Section 14.43
   1-30  of this code to the obligee the actual cost of the health insurance
   1-31  for the child unless either party shows good cause why such an
   1-32  order would not be in the best interest of the child; or
   1-33              (3)  if health insurance is not available for the child
   1-34  through either the obligor's or obligee's employment, the court
   1-35  shall order the obligor to provide health insurance for the child
   1-36  if the court finds that health insurance is available and
   1-37  accessible for the child from another source and the obligor is
   1-38  financially able to provide it unless either party shows good cause
   1-39  why such an order would not be in the best interest of the child.
   1-40        (s)  The legislature encourages the commissioner of insurance
   1-41  to attempt to create a pool for health insurance from which a child
   1-42  may obtain health care coverage if a person does not comply with a
   1-43  court order under this section or the person chooses to purchase
   1-44  health insurance from the pool.
   1-45        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-46        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-47  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-48  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-49  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-50  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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