Amend CSSB 1151 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d)  Subject to this section, a person entitled to compensation under Subsection (a) is also eligible to obtain group health benefit plan coverage through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as if the person were an employee of the department. The [This subsection does not entitle the] person's spouse and dependents may be included in the person's [or other dependent or family member to group health benefit plan] coverage as if the person were an employee of the department. Coverage may be obtained under this subsection for a period of time equal to the total period the claimant served for the crime for which the claimant was wrongfully imprisoned, including any period during which the claimant was released on parole or to mandatory supervision or required to register under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. A person who elects to obtain coverage under this subsection shall pay a monthly contribution equal to the total amount of the monthly contributions for that coverage for an employee of the department.

SECTION ____.  Section 1551.115, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1551.115.  PARTICIPATION BY WRONGFULLY IMPRISONED PERSONS. Subject to Section 103.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a person who is entitled to compensation under Chapter 103, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is eligible to obtain health benefit plan coverage under the group benefits program in the manner and to the extent that an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice would be entitled to [coverage, except that this section does not entitle the person's spouse or other dependent or family member to] coverage.

SECTION ____.  A person who, before the effective date of this Act, obtained group health benefit plan coverage under Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as the law existed before the effective date of this Act, may elect to include the person's spouse and dependents in the person's coverage as provided by Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as amended by this Act. An election under this section must be made:

(1)  not later than March 1, 2020; or

(2)  during any subsequent open enrollment period applicable to employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

SECTION ____.  (a) Not later than December 1, 2019, the comptroller shall provide notice to all persons entitled to compensation under Section 103.001(a), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, of the opportunity to obtain group health benefit plan coverage for a spouse or dependent under Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as amended by this Act.

(b)  The comptroller shall provide the notice required by Subsection (a) of this section by:

(1)  certified mail to a person's last known address; and

(2)  phone call to the phone number that the comptroller has on file for the person.