By Puente                                              H.B. No. 239

         75R1460 DLF-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain benefits provided under the Texas Public School

 1-3     Employees Group Insurance Program.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  The Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance

 1-6     Act (Article 3.50-4, Insurance Code) is amended by adding Section

 1-7     18D to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 18D.  PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN TEST.  A health benefit

 1-9     plan offered under the program must provide coverage for each male

1-10     who is at least 50 years of age and who is enrolled in the  plan

1-11     for a medically accepted prostate specific antigen test used for

1-12     the detection of prostate cancer.

1-13           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-14     applies only to coverage under a health benefit plan that is

1-15     delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1,

1-16     1998.  Coverage under a health benefit plan that is delivered,

1-17     issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 1998, is governed

1-18     by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of

1-19     this Act, and that law is continued in effect for this purpose.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.