Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1940 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Huffman S.B. No. 1940
2		-	(Flynn, Alonzo, Paul, Hernandez, Stephenson)
	1	+	S.B. No. 1940
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to the creation of a joint interim committee to undertake a
8	6		study of health benefit plans administered by the Teacher
9	7		Retirement System of Texas.
10	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	9		SECTION 1. CREATION OF JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE. (a) A
12	10		joint interim committee is created to study and review the health
13	11		benefit plans, including TRS-Care and TRS-ActiveCare, operated
14	12		under Chapters 1575 and 1579, Insurance Code, and propose reforms
15	13		to address issues described by Section 2 of this Act.
16	14		(b) The joint interim committee shall be composed of three
17	15		senators appointed by the lieutenant governor and three members of
18	16		the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house
19	17		of representatives.
20	18		(c) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
21	19		representatives shall each designate a co-chair from among the
22	20		joint interim committee members.
23	21		(d) The joint interim committee shall convene at the joint
24	22		call of the co-chairs.
25	23		(e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and
26	24		duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the
27	25		senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301,
28	26		Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees
29	27		on administration.
30	28		SECTION 2. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING CERTAIN HEALTH BENEFIT
31	29		PLANS. The joint interim committee created by Section 1 of this Act
32	30		shall study the health benefit plans, including TRS-Care and
33	31		TRS-ActiveCare, operated under Chapters 1575 and 1579, Insurance
34	32		Code, to examine and assess the following issues:
35	33		(1) the financial soundness of the plans;
36	34		(2) the cost and affordability of plan coverage to
37	35		persons eligible for coverage under the plans; and
38	36		(3) the sufficiency of access to physicians and health
39	37		care providers under the plans.
40	38		SECTION 3. COMMITTEE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
41	39		(a) Not later than January 15, 2017, the joint interim committee
42	40		shall report the committee's findings and recommendations to the
43	41		lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
44	42		and the governor. The joint interim committee shall include in its
45	43		recommendations specific statutory and regulatory changes that
46	44		appear necessary from the results of the committee's study under
47	45		Section 2 of this Act.
48	46		(b) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of
49	47		this Act, the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
50	48		representatives shall appoint the members of the joint interim
51	49		committee created under Section 1 of this Act in accordance with
52	50		that section.
53	51		SECTION 4. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim
54	52		committee created by this Act is abolished and this Act expires
55	53		January 20, 2017.
56	54		SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
57	55		immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
58	56		elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
59	57		Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
60	58		immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	59	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	60	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	61	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1940 passed the Senate on
	62	+	May 15, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	63	+	______________________________
	64	+	Secretary of the Senate
	65	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1940 passed the House on
	66	+	May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, two
	67	+	present not voting.
	68	+	______________________________
	69	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	70	+	Approved:
	71	+	______________________________
	72	+	Date
	73	+	______________________________
	74	+	Governor