By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 1853
         77R5965 DLF-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to coverage for certain dependent children under the Texas
 1-3     Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 14A(a), Texas Employees Uniform Group
 1-6     Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance
 1-7     Code), is amended to read as follows:
 1-8           (a)  Subject to any applicable limit in the General
 1-9     Appropriations Act, the trustee shall use money appropriated for
1-10     employer contributions to fund [80 percent of] the total cost of
1-11     basic coverage for a child who:
1-12                 (1)  is a dependent of an employee;
1-13                 (2)  would be eligible, if the child were not the
1-14     dependent of the employee, for benefits under the program
1-15     established by this state to implement Title XXI of the Social
1-16     Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1397aa et seq.), as amended; and
1-17                 (3)  is not eligible for the state Medicaid program.
1-18           SECTION 2.  Section 14A(f), Texas Employees Uniform Group
1-19     Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance
1-20     Code), is repealed.
1-21           SECTION 3.  Section 14A(a), Texas Employees Uniform Group
1-22     Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance
1-23     Code), as amended by this Act, applies to the purchase of basic
1-24     coverage for a dependent child by the trustee of the group benefits
 2-1     program established under the Texas Employees Uniform Group
 2-2     Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance
 2-3     Code), beginning September 1, 2001.
 2-4           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-5     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-6     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-7     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-8     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.