| TO: | Honorable Jim Pitts, Chair, House Committee on Appropriations |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB4587 by Pitts (Relating to providing information to state employees regarding the availability of Medicaid and other health benefits coverage for their children.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend Subchapter B, Chapter 531 of the Government Code by adding Section 531.066, which would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Employees Retirement System (ERS) to jointly develop and maintain a brochure for distribution to state employees about the availability of dependent child coverage. The brochure would require updating each year not later than September 1.
The bill would amend Chapter 651 of the Government code by requiring each state agency to distribute to each employee a copy of the brochure that contains information regarding the availability of certain health benefit coverage for their children. The agencies would be responsible for providing the brochure to their employees upon the beginning of employment and during open enrollment.
The bill would require HHSC and ERS to make the required brochure and the applications for coverage available for download and printing from the Internet websites not later than September 1, 2009.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house; if not, it would take effect September 1, 2009.
It is assumed that the costs of the bill can be absorbed within existing resources. The bill may eventually lead to an increase in state costs for providing health benefits to state employee family members, but there is insufficient data to provide an estimate.
| Source Agencies: | 327 Employees Retirement System, 529 Health and Human Services Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, MN, PP, MB
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