| 1 | 1 | | By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1265 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House April 22, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | April 24, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on State |
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| 4 | 4 | | Affairs; May 10, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | 5 | | Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 10, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to providing information to state employees about |
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| 11 | 11 | | insurance available to those employees under a group coverage plan. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, is |
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| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 1551.2011 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 1551.2011. EMPLOYEE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION. (a) The |
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| 16 | 16 | | board of trustees by rule shall ensure that employees receive |
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| 17 | 17 | | information about life coverage, accidental death and |
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| 18 | 18 | | dismemberment coverage, and long-term and short-term loss of salary |
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| 19 | 19 | | coverage, if those coverages are included in a group coverage plan |
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| 20 | 20 | | established under Section 1551.201. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The information must contain descriptions of: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) probabilities of death and disability; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) policy exclusions and limitations, including: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) limitations based on multiple sources of |
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| 25 | 25 | | benefits; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) preexisting condition exclusions; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (C) required waiting periods for benefits. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The board of trustees by rule may provide the |
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| 29 | 29 | | information described by Subsections (a) and (b) in printed |
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| 30 | 30 | | materials for new employees distributed on the first day of |
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| 31 | 31 | | employment. The board of trustees may consider using printed |
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| 32 | 32 | | materials, online presentations, and educational presentations to |
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| 33 | 33 | | ensure the information described by Subsections (a) and (b) is |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided to employees. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) If applicable, the board of trustees shall annually |
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| 36 | 36 | | review the materials and presentations described by Subsection (c) |
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| 37 | 37 | | to determine if changes to the contents of the materials or |
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| 38 | 38 | | presentations are necessary. If applicable, the department shall |
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| 39 | 39 | | adopt rules necessary for considering and making changes to the |
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| 40 | 40 | | materials or presentations. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) The board of trustees shall publish the information |
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| 42 | 42 | | described by Subsections (a) and (b) on the Employees Retirement |
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| 43 | 43 | | System of Texas website. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. The board of trustees shall adopt rules to |
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| 45 | 45 | | implement the changes in law made by this Act not later than January |
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| 46 | 46 | | 1, 2014. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 48 | 48 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 49 | 49 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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| 52 | 52 | | * * * * * |
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