1-1     By:  Moreno of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Jackson)      H.B. No. 1217
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 1999;
 1-3     April 26, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Economic Development; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to enrollment periods for employer health benefit plans.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Article 26.83(f), Insurance Code, is amended to
1-11     read as follows:
1-12           (f)  The initial enrollment period for employees meeting the
1-13     participation criteria must be at least 31 days, with a 31-day
1-14     annual open enrollment period.  [Such enrollment period shall
1-15     consist of an entire calendar month, beginning on the first day of
1-16     the month and ending on the last day of the month.  If the month is
1-17     February, the period shall last through March 2.]
1-18           SECTION 2.  Article 26.21(h), Insurance Code, is amended to
1-19     read as follows:
1-20           (h)  The initial enrollment period for the employees and
1-21     their dependents must be at least 31 days, with a 31-day open
1-22     enrollment period provided annually.  [Such enrollment period shall
1-23     consist of an entire calendar month, beginning on the first day of
1-24     the month and ending on the last day of the month.  If the month is
1-25     February, the period shall last through March 2.]
1-26           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-27     applies only to an insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-28     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
1-29     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on
1-30     or after that date.  An insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-31     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
1-32     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed
1-33     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it
1-34     existed immediately before that date, and that law is continued in
1-35     effect for that purpose.
1-36           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-37     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-38     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-39     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-40     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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