By Hilderbran                                   H.B. No. 3239

      75R467 GCH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to health insurance coverage under the Texas Employees

 1-3     Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance

 1-6     Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is

 1-7     amended by adding Section 5B to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 5B.  MEDICARE RISK PLAN COVERAGE.  The trustee shall

 1-9     provide optional group Medicare risk plan coverages for employees,

1-10     annuitants, and their dependents who are eligible to receive

1-11     Medicare.  The trustee shall contract for the coverages with one or

1-12     more carriers that have contracted with the federal government

1-13     under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395u.  An employee or annuitant may not

1-14     enroll in a coverage provided under this section in addition to

1-15     other coverages provided under this Act.  An employee or annuitant,

1-16     or a dependent of an employee or annuitant, may not be penalized

1-17     for an enrollment in or a departure from a coverage provided under

1-18     this section.

1-19           SECTION 2.  The Employees Retirement System of Texas shall

1-20     make the coverages described by Section 5B, Texas Employees Uniform

1-21     Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas

1-22     Insurance Code), as added by this Act, initially available during

1-23     the enrollment period that precedes the fiscal year beginning

1-24     September 1, 1997.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-7     passage, and it is so enacted.