By Coleman, Farrar                                     H.B. No. 849
         77R12802 E                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to coverage of anorexia and bulimia as serious mental
 1-3     illnesses under certain group health benefit plans.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 1(1), Article 3.51-14, Insurance Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7                 (1)  "Serious mental illness" means the following
 1-8     psychiatric illnesses as defined by the American Psychiatric
 1-9     Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM):
1-10                       (A)  schizophrenia;
1-11                       (B)  paranoid and other psychotic disorders;
1-12                       (C)  bipolar disorders (hypomanic, manic,
1-13     depressive, and mixed);
1-14                       (D)  major depressive disorders (single episode
1-15     or recurrent);
1-16                       (E)  schizo-affective disorders (bipolar or
1-17     depressive);
1-18                       (F)  pervasive developmental disorders;
1-19                       (G)  obsessive-compulsive disorders;  [and]
1-20                       (H)  depression in childhood and adolescence;
1-21                       (I)  anorexia; and
1-22                       (J)  bulimia.
1-23           SECTION 2.  (a) On or before September 1, 2006, the Sunset
1-24     Advisory Commission shall conduct a study to determine:
 2-1                 (1)  to what extent the health benefit plan coverage
 2-2     required by the change in law made by this Act to Section 1(1),
 2-3     Article 3.51-14, Insurance Code, is being used by enrollees in
 2-4     health benefit plans to which that article applies; and
 2-5                 (2)  the impact of the required coverage on the cost of
 2-6     those health benefit plans.
 2-7           (b)  The Sunset Advisory Commission shall report its findings
 2-8     under this section to the legislature on or before January 1, 2007.
 2-9           (c)  The Texas Department of Insurance and any other state
2-10     agency shall cooperate with the Sunset Advisory Commission as
2-11     necessary to implement this section.
2-12           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
2-13     applies only to a group health benefit plan that is delivered,
2-14     issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2002.  A
2-15     group health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery,
2-16     or renewed before January 1, 2002, is governed by the law as it
2-17     existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that
2-18     law is continued in effect for that purpose.