1-1     By:  Nelson                                            S.B. No. 569
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 17, 1999; February 18, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
 1-4     April 9, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 9, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 569                   By:  Sibley
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to standards for utilization review.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 4, Article 21.58A, Insurance Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Subsection (o) to read as follows:
1-14           (o)  A utilization review agent may not require, as a
1-15     condition of treatment approval or for any other reason, the
1-16     observation of a psychotherapy session or the submission or review
1-17     of a mental health therapist's process or progress notes.
1-18     Notwithstanding this subsection, a utilization review agent may
1-19     require submission of such records as are necessary to demonstrate
1-20     policy coverage.
1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-22     applies only to a utilization review conducted on or after that
1-23     date.
1-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-28     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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