SRC-LBB S.B. 1079 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1079
78R8011 PB-DBy: Shapleigh
Subcommittee on Higher Education
4/1/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 
 
Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured population and uninsured
children among all fifty states.  A high number of uninsured individuals
in a community may place a heavy burden on local and county hospital
districts and health care providers.  As proposed, S.B. 1079 requires The
University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston (school) to conduct
an ongoing study regarding persons in Texas who do not have health
insurance coverage.  This bill also requires the school to report the
results of the study to the legislature every two years. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 73E, Education Code,  by adding Section 73.203,
as follows: 

Sec. 73.203.  STUDY ON UNINSURED PERSONS.  (a)  Requires The University of
Texas School of Public Health at Houston (school) to conduct an ongoing
study regarding persons in this state who do not have health insurance
coverage.  Requires the study to include certain information. 

(b)  Requires the school to report the results of the study in writing to
the legislature not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year.
Requires the report to include any policy recommendations developed by the
school regarding effective ways for this state to deal with the issue of
lack of health insurance coverage and authorizes the report to include
proposed legislation designed to implement the policy recommendations. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.