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                                  * * * * *