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
2-1 benefit, including elimination or revision of the mandated benefit
2-2 or conversion of the mandated benefit to a mandated offer of
2-3 coverage for that benefit, are feasible and what impact those
2-4 alternatives might have on other matters considered by the
2-5 committee;
2-6 (2) develop recommendations regarding methods that
2-7 would allow the legislature to accurately and timely assess the
2-8 costs and benefits of proposed mandated benefits; and
2-9 (3) address any other issues related to health care
2-10 benefits as determined by the committee.
2-11 (c) The Texas Department of Insurance shall assist the
2-12 committee in conducting the study required by this Act at the
2-13 direction of the committee, using funds appropriated to the
2-14 department for that purpose or using other funds appropriated to
2-15 the department. At the direction of the committee, the department
2-16 shall contract with other entities to assist in conducting all or
2-17 part of the study required by this Act.
2-18 (d) The committee shall submit a report and recommendations
2-19 to the legislature in a manner established in the order of the
2-20 lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives
2-21 that appoints the committee and shall operate according to
2-22 procedures established in that order.
2-23 (e) The committee shall complete the report and
2-24 recommendations required by this Act not later than January 1,
2-25 2001. This Act expires and the committee is abolished June 1,
2-26 2001.
2-27 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1919 was passed by the House on May
5, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1919 was passed by the Senate on May
26, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor