SRC-JBJ S.B. 1194 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1194
76R9146 PB-DBy: Shapiro
Economic Development
5/13/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, a person may collect compensation from a health insurance
carrier for a work-related injury or illness.  Although the carrier may
continue to require the employee to continue to pay his or her insurance
premiums, the employee is prohibited from agreeing with the carrier to
deduct those premiums from the received benefits.  S.B. 1194 would permit
certain persons who have incurred a compensable injury to pay the premiums
for health care coverage through regular deductions by the carrier from the
person's income benefit payments and forwarded to the employer. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1194 authorizes persons who have incurred a compensable
injury to pay the premiums for health care coverage through a regularly
deduction from the person's benefits. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 408K, Labor Code, by adding Section 408.204, as
follows: 

Sec. 408.204.  PAYMENT FROM INCOME BENEFITS OF CERTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE
PREMIUMS.  Applies this section to an employee who has incurred a
compensable injury and is receiving income benefits under this subtitle.
Authorizes certain employees to enter in an agreement with the employer's
health insurance to deduct from the employee's income benefits an amount to
apply to the employee's share of the premium for the insurance.  Requires
the carrier to transmit the deducted amount to the employer and to deduct
the amount in a timely manner.  Requires the Texas Workers' Compensation
Commission (commission) to prescribe, by rule, the requirements for the
agreement.   

SECTION 2. (a)  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

 (b)  Requires the commission to adopt the rules by December 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.