By:  Jackson                                           S.B. No. 881
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to enrollment periods for employer health benefit plans.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subsection (f), Article 26.83, Insurance Code, is
 1-4     amended to read as follows:
 1-5           (f)  The initial enrollment period for employees meeting the
 1-6     participation criteria must be at least 31 days, with a 31-day
 1-7     annual open enrollment period.   [Such enrollment period shall
 1-8     consist of an entire calendar month, beginning on the first day of
 1-9     the month and ending on the last day of the month.  If the month is
1-10     February, the period shall last through March 2.]
1-11           SECTION 2.  Subsection (h), Article 26.21, Insurance Code, is
1-12     amended to read as follows:
1-13           (h)  The initial enrollment period for the employees and
1-14     their dependents must be at least 31 days, with a 31-day open
1-15     enrollment period provided annually.  [Such enrollment period shall
1-16     consist of an entire calendar month, beginning on the first day of
1-17     the month and ending on the last day of the month.  If the month is
1-18     February, the period shall last through March 2.]
1-19           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-20     applies only to an insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-21     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
1-22     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on
1-23     or after that date.  An insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-24     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
 2-1     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed
 2-2     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it
 2-3     existed immediately before that date, and that law is continued in
 2-4     effect for that purpose.
 2-5           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.