1-1     By:  Goodman, Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Harris)       H.B. No. 591
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001;
 1-3     April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 1, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 1, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the liability of a parent who fails to provide
 1-9     court-ordered health insurance for a child.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Section 154.188, Family Code, is amended to read
1-12     as follows:
1-13           Sec. 154.188.  FAILURE TO PROVIDE REQUIRED HEALTH INSURANCE.
1-14     A parent ordered to provide health insurance who fails to do so is
1-15     liable for:
1-16                 (1)  necessary medical expenses of the child, without
1-17     regard to whether the expenses would have been paid if health
1-18     insurance had been provided; and
1-19                 (2)  the cost of health insurance premiums or
1-20     contributions, if any, paid on behalf of the child.
1-21           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
1-22     applies only to an action to enforce a medical support order
1-23     commenced on or after that date.  An action to enforce a medical
1-24     support order commenced before the effective date of this Act is
1-25     governed by the law in effect on the date the action was commenced,
1-26     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
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