By Gallego, Isett, Farabee, Eiland, Clark, H.B. No. 1919 76R13131 AJA-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to legislative review of health care benefits that are 1-3 mandated to be provided by health benefit plans. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH BENEFIT 1-6 MANDATES. (a) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the 1-7 house of representatives shall appoint a joint interim committee to 1-8 study health care benefits mandated by law to be provided by health 1-9 benefit plans. 1-10 (b) The committee shall: 1-11 (1) determine: 1-12 (A) the extent that mandated health care 1-13 benefits, individually and collectively, increase or have increased 1-14 the premium costs of health benefits coverage and the effect of any 1-15 increased premium costs on the affordability and availability of 1-16 health benefit coverage to consumers; 1-17 (B) the effect of the mandated benefits, 1-18 individually and collectively, on improving and maintaining the 1-19 health of the state's residents; 1-20 (C) the number and percentage of residents 1-21 covered by a health benefit plan that is subject to a mandate who 1-22 have made or are anticipated to make a claim for each mandated 1-23 benefit; and 1-24 (D) whether alternatives to each mandated 1-25 benefit, including elimination or revision of the mandated benefit 2-1 or conversion of the mandated benefit to a mandated offer of 2-2 coverage for that benefit, are feasible and what impact those 2-3 alternatives might have on other matters considered by the 2-4 committee; 2-5 (2) develop recommendations regarding methods that 2-6 would allow the legislature to accurately and timely assess the 2-7 costs and benefits of proposed mandated benefits; and 2-8 (3) address any other issues related to health care 2-9 benefits as determined by the committee. 2-10 (c) The Texas Department of Insurance shall assist the 2-11 committee in conducting the study required by this Act at the 2-12 direction of the committee, using funds appropriated to the 2-13 department for that purpose or using other funds appropriated to 2-14 the department. At the direction of the committee, the department 2-15 shall contract with other entities to assist in conducting all or 2-16 part of the study required by this Act. 2-17 (d) The committee shall submit a report and recommendations 2-18 to the legislature in a manner established in the order of the 2-19 lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives 2-20 that appoints the committee and shall operate according to 2-21 procedures established in that order. 2-22 (e) The committee shall complete the report and 2-23 recommendations required by this Act not later than January 1, 2-24 2001. This Act expires and the committee is abolished June 1, 2-25 2001. 2-26 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.