By Jackson                                             S.B. No. 881
         76R1094 AJA-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to enrollment periods for employer health benefit plans.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Article 26.83(f), Insurance Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           (f)  The initial enrollment period for employees meeting the
 1-7     participation criteria must be at least 31 days, with a 31-day
 1-8     annual open enrollment period.  [Such enrollment period shall
 1-9     consist of an entire calendar month, beginning on the first day of
1-10     the month and ending on the last day of the month.  If the month is
1-11     February, the period shall last through March 2.]
1-12           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-13     applies only to an insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-14     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
1-15     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on
1-16     or after that date.  An insurance policy, evidence of coverage,
1-17     contract, or other document establishing coverage under a health
1-18     benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed
1-19     before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it
1-20     existed immediately before that date, and that law is continued in
1-21     effect for that purpose.
1-22           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.