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.