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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prohibiting discrimination against living organ donors |
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by certain insurers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Texas Living Organ |
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Donor Act. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 544, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter M to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER M. LIVING ORGAN DONORS |
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Sec. 544.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "living |
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organ donor" means a living individual who donates an organ to |
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another individual. |
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Sec. 544.602. PROHIBITIONS. An insurer may not solely: |
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(1) use the fact that an individual is a living organ |
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donor to reject, deny, limit, cancel, refuse to renew, increase the |
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premiums for, or otherwise adversely affect the individual's |
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eligibility for, cost of, or coverage under a life insurance policy |
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or contract, disability insurance policy, or long-term care |
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insurance policy offered by the insurer; or |
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(2) prevent an insured from donating all or part of an |
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organ as a condition of continuing coverage under a life insurance |
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policy or contract, disability insurance policy, or long-term care |
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insurance policy. |
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SECTION 3. Section 544.602, Insurance Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to an insurance policy or contract that is |
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delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, |
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2022. A policy or contract that is delivered, issued for delivery, |
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or renewed before January 1, 2022, is governed by the law as it |
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existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |