SRC-MKV C.S.S.B. 505 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 505 2001S0326/1By: Brown, J. E. "Buster" Education 3/1/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, students enrolled at health component institutions of higher education are exposed to greater health risks than other student populations, due to direct patient contact in medical and dental care facilities. Such students are usually older, not eligible for health insurance coverage under their parent's policy, and often uninsured. C.S.S.B. 505 authorizes governing boards of institutions of higher education to require students at component health institutions to obtain health insurance while enrolled at such institutions, and to determine minimum coverage standards for such insurance. This bill also allows a student to obtain health insurance coverage from another source, and to be provisionally enrolled for one semester without health insurance, in order to give the student time to obtain the required minimum coverage. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the governing board of a medical and dental unit as defined by Section 61.003 (Definitions), Education Code, in SECTION 1 (Section 51.961, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 51Z, Education Code, by adding Section 51.961, as follows: Sec. 51.961. STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE. (a) Authorizes the governing board of a medical and dental unit (governing board) to require a student enrolled at a medical and dental unit to have in effect during the calendar year of enrollment a health insurance policy for health care services received by the student. (b) Requires the governing board to determine the minimum coverage standards for health insurance required under this section. (c) Requires the medical and dental unit to provide a reasonable estimate of the cost of the health insurance coverage within the student's cost of education for financial aid purposes, if the student agrees in writing. (d) Authorizes a student to be provisionally enrolled at the medical and dental unit for one academic session without coverage in order to allow the student time to obtain the coverage, if the governing board requires health insurance coverage for students under Subsection (a). (e) Authorizes the governing board to adopt such other rules and regulations as it determines necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (f) Provides that in this section, "governing board" and "medical and dental unit" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES Differs from original by adding a new Subsection (c) that requires the medical and dental unit to provide a reasonable estimate of the cost of the health insurance coverage within the student's cost of education for financial aid purposes, if the student agrees in writing. Also reletters subsequent subsections accordingly.