BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 479
80R20836 JRJ-D By: Janek, Hegar
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
University student health centers only have two ways of generating money--student fees and payment for services. Most students have insurance coverage through their parents that would cover the cost of treatment. However, most student health centers do not accept private insurance. The purpose of this legislation is to protect appropriations to student health centers. Current law does allow this but states that it is the legislative intent that the money collected from an insurance company stay within the student health center.
C.S.S.B. 479 requires that if a university takes measures to collect payment for services from a student's insurance company that payment stays within the student health center.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding Section 51.953, as follows:
Sec. 51.953. CERTAIN REVENUE RECEIVED FROM STUDENT HEALTH CENTER SERVICES. (a) Defines "health benefit plan" and "institution of higher education" for the purposes of this section.
(b) Provides that amounts received by an institution of higher education from a health benefit plan issuer as a result of a claim filed with the issuer by or on behalf of the institution's student health center are institutional funds under Section 51.009 (Defining and Accounting for Certain Income), Education Code, and are authorized to be used only for the construction, improvement, operation, or maintenance of the student health center or to increase or enhance the services offered by the student health center. Provides that it is the intent of the legislature that those amounts be in addition to other amounts of money allocated to the student health center and that those other amounts not be reduced.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2007.