By Shapleigh S.B. No. 1381 76R7477 PB-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment and operation of a border region 1-3 pilot program by the Texas Insurance Purchasing Alliance. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 26, Insurance Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Article 26.155 to read as follows: 1-7 Art. 26.155. PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this article, "Texas 1-8 Insurance Purchasing Alliance" means the Texas cooperative 1-9 established under Article 26.13 of this subchapter. 1-10 (b) To increase private health insurance coverage for 1-11 employees of small employers, the Texas Insurance Purchasing 1-12 Alliance shall establish a pilot program to operate a health 1-13 benefit plan in two counties of this state that border the United 1-14 Mexican States. 1-15 (c) To determine sites for the operation of the program, the 1-16 alliance shall identify groups of small employers who are unable to 1-17 offer health coverage to their employees because the employers are 1-18 unable to meet minimum requirements for participation in a small 1-19 employer health benefit plan under this chapter. 1-20 (d) The alliance may contract directly with one or more 1-21 provider networks to provide health care services to enrollees in 1-22 the health benefit plan operated by the pilot program. Article 1-23 26.15(c) of this subchapter does not apply to the pilot program. 1-24 (e) Article 26.13(h) of this subchapter applies to the 2-1 operation of the pilot program established under this article. 2-2 (f) This article expires and the pilot program is abolished 2-3 August 31, 2004. 2-4 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-9 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-10 passage, and it is so enacted.