Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB4587 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R2055 KFF-F
2	2	By: Pitts H.B. No. 4587
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to providing information to state employees regarding the
8	8	availability of Medicaid and other health benefits coverage for
9	9	their children.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 531.0661 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 531.0661. BROCHURE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES RELATING TO
14	14	MEDICAID AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS COVERAGE. (a) The eligibility
15	15	services division of the commission and the Employees Retirement
16	16	System of Texas shall jointly develop and maintain a brochure for
17	17	distribution to state employees about the availability of:
18	18	(1) dependent child coverage under Section 1551.159,
19	19	Insurance Code; and
20	20	(2) medical assistance for a state employee's child
21	21	under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code.
22	22	(b) The brochure must:
23	23	(1) include:
24	24	(A) an eligibility chart and pricing information
25	25	for the dependent child coverage and medical assistance described
26	26	by Subsection (a); and
27	27	(B) telephone numbers for the Employees
28	28	Retirement System of Texas and the commission that a state employee
29	29	may call to obtain additional information about dependent child
30	30	coverage and medical assistance, respectively; and
31	31	(2) be updated not later than September 1 of each year.
32	32	(c) The commission and the Employees Retirement System of
33	33	Texas shall make the brochure and current applications for
34	34	dependent child coverage and medical assistance available on their
35	35	Internet websites in a format that allows other state agencies and
36	36	state employees to download and print the documents.
37	37	SECTION 2. Chapter 651, Government Code, is amended by
38	38	adding Section 651.011 to read as follows:
39	39	Sec. 651.011. DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION TO STATE
40	40	EMPLOYEES BY STATE AGENCIES. (a) In this section, "state agency"
41	41	has the meaning assigned by Section 1551.003, Insurance Code.
42	42	(b) Each state agency shall provide each of the agency's
43	43	employees with a copy of the brochure regarding the availability of
44	44	certain health benefits coverage for their children that is
45	45	developed and maintained under Section 531.0661:
46	46	(1) on the date the employee begins employment with
47	47	the agency; and
48	48	(2) during each annual open enrollment period for
49	49	dependent child coverage under Section 1551.159, Insurance Code.
50	50	SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2009, the Health and
51	51	Human Services Commission and the Employees Retirement System of
52	52	Texas shall make the brochure required by Section 531.0661,
53	53	Government Code, as added by this Act, and the applications
54	54	specified by that section available for download and printing from
55	55	their Internet websites.
56	56	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
57	57	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
58	58	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
59	59	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
60	60	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.