By: Menéndez S.R. No. 850
SENATE RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State
of Texas, 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, That House
Rule 13, Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House
Rule 13, Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee
appointed to resolve the differences on Senate Bill 1742
(physician and health care provider directories,
preauthorization, utilization review, independent review, and
peer review for certain health benefit plans and workers'
compensation coverage) to consider and take action on the
following matter:
House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the
conference committee to add text on a matter not included in
either the house or senate version of the bill by adding the
following new ARTICLE to the bill:
ARTICLE 4. JOINT INTERIM STUDY
SECTION 4.01. CREATION OF JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE. (a)
A joint interim committee is created to study, review, and report
on the use of prior authorization and utilization review
processes by private health benefit plan issuers in this state,
as provided by Section 4.02 of this article, and propose reforms
under that section related to the transparency of and improving
patient outcomes under the prior authorization and utilization
review processes used by private health benefit plan issuers in
this state.
(b) The joint interim committee shall be composed of four
senators appointed by the lieutenant governor and four members of
the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the
house of representatives.
(c) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall each designate a co-chair from among the
joint interim committee members.
(d) The joint interim committee shall convene at the
joint call of the co-chairs.
(e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and
duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of
the senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter
301, Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house
committees on administration.
SECTION 4.02. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING PRIOR
AUTHORIZATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW PROCESSES. (a) The joint
interim committee created by Section 4.01 of this article shall
study data and other information available from the Texas
Department of Insurance, the office of public insurance counsel,
or other sources the committee determines relevant to examine and
analyze the transparency of and improving patient outcomes under
the prior authorization and utilization review processes used by
private health benefit plan issuers in this state.
(b) The joint interim committee shall propose reforms
based on the study required under Subsection (a) of this section
to improve the transparency of and patient outcomes under prior
authorization and utilization review processes in this state.
(c) The joint interim committee shall prepare a report of
the findings and proposed reforms.
SECTION 4.03. COMMITTEE FINDINGS AND PROPOSED REFORMS.
(a) Not later than December 1, 2020, the joint interim committee
created under Section 4.01 of this article shall submit to the
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and the governor the report prepared under
Section 4.02 of this article. The joint interim committee shall
include in its report recommendations of specific statutory and
regulatory changes that appear necessary from the committee's
study under Section 4.02 of this article.
(b) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date
of this Act, the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall appoint the members of the joint interim
committee in accordance with Section 4.01 of this article.
SECTION 4.04. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim
committee created under Section 4.01 of this article is abolished
and this article expires December 15, 2020.
Explanation: The addition is necessary to provide for the
interim study of the use of prior authorization and utilization
review processes by health benefit plan issuers in this state and
the proposal of reforms to improve the transparency of and
patient outcomes under those processes.