1-1     By:  Puente (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos)                H.B. No. 239

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 1997;

 1-3     April 14, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 8, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to certain benefits provided under the Texas Public School

 1-9     Employees Group Insurance Program.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  The Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance

1-12     Act (Article 3.50-4, Insurance Code) is amended by adding Section

1-13     18D to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 18D.  PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN TEST.  A health benefit

1-15     plan offered under the program must provide coverage for each male

1-16     who is at least 50 years of age, or is at least 40 years of age

1-17     with a family history of prostate cancer or another cancer risk

1-18     factor, and who is enrolled in the plan for a medically accepted

1-19     prostate specific antigen test used for the detection of prostate

1-20     cancer.

1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-22     applies only to coverage under a health benefit plan that is

1-23     delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1,

1-24     1998.  Coverage under a health benefit plan that is delivered,

1-25     issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 1998, is governed

1-26     by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of

1-27     this Act, and that law is continued in effect for this purpose.

1-28           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-29     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-30     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-31     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-32     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-33                                  * * * * *