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.