1-1 By: Carona S.B. No. 1530 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development; 1-4 April 6, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 1; April 6, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1530 By: Carona 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to coercion by certain entities engaged in the business of 1-11 insurance, including the issuance of health benefit plans. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Insurance Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Article 21.20-3 to read as follows: 1-15 Art. 21.20-3. COERCION BY CERTAIN HEALTH PLANS PROHIBITED. 1-16 An entity subject to this code or the other insurance laws of this 1-17 state that offers multiple health benefit plans or products and 1-18 that requires a health care provider, as a condition of 1-19 participation in a health benefit plan or product of the entity, to 1-20 participate in any of the entity's other health benefit plans or 1-21 products commits coercion for purposes of Section 4, Article 21.21, 1-22 of this code. 1-23 SECTION 2. Article 21.20-3, Insurance Code, as added by this 1-24 Act, applies only to an act performed or an agreement entered on or 1-25 after the effective date of this Act. 1-26 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-27 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-28 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-29 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-30 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-31 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-32 * * * * *