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 * * * * *