1-1     By:  Gallego, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Harris)        H.B. No. 1919
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 1999;
 1-3     May 7, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Administration; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 3, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to legislative review of health care benefits that are
 1-9     mandated to be provided by health benefit plans.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH BENEFIT
1-12     MANDATES.  (a)  The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the
1-13     house of representatives shall appoint a joint interim committee to
1-14     study health care benefits mandated by law to be provided by health
1-15     benefit plans.
1-16           (b)  The committee shall:
1-17                 (1)  determine:
1-18                       (A)  the extent that mandated health care
1-19     benefits, individually and collectively, increase or have increased
1-20     the premium costs of health benefits coverage and the effect of any
1-21     increased premium costs on the affordability and availability of
1-22     health benefit coverage to consumers;
1-23                       (B)  the effect of the mandated benefits,
1-24     individually and collectively, on improving and maintaining the
1-25     health of the state's residents;
1-26                       (C)  the number and percentage of residents
1-27     covered by a health benefit plan that is subject to a mandate who
1-28     have made or are anticipated to make a claim for each mandated
1-29     benefit; and
1-30                       (D)  whether alternatives to each mandated
1-31     benefit, including elimination or revision of the mandated benefit
1-32     or conversion of the mandated benefit to a mandated offer of
1-33     coverage for that benefit, are feasible and what impact those
1-34     alternatives might have on other matters considered by the
1-35     committee;
1-36                 (2)  develop recommendations regarding methods that
1-37     would allow the legislature to accurately and timely assess the
1-38     costs and benefits of proposed mandated benefits; and
1-39                 (3)  address any other issues related to health care
1-40     benefits as determined by the committee.
1-41           (c)  The Texas Department of Insurance shall assist the
1-42     committee in conducting the study required by this Act at the
1-43     direction of the committee, using funds appropriated to the
1-44     department for that purpose or using other funds appropriated to
1-45     the department.  At the direction of the committee, the department
1-46     shall contract with other entities to assist in conducting all or
1-47     part of the study required by this Act.
1-48           (d)  The committee shall submit a report and recommendations
1-49     to the legislature in a manner established in the order of the
1-50     lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives
1-51     that appoints the committee and shall operate according to
1-52     procedures established in that order.
1-53           (e)  The committee shall complete the report and
1-54     recommendations required by this Act not later than January 1,
1-55     2001.  This Act expires and the committee is abolished June 1,
1-56     2001.
1-57           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-58     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-59     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-60     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-61     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-62                                  * * * * *