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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to health care benefits of persons wrongfully imprisoned. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies |
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| 10 | 10 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (d) Subject to this section, a person entitled to |
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| 12 | 12 | | compensation under Subsection (a) is also eligible to obtain group |
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| 13 | 13 | | health benefit plan coverage through the Texas Department of |
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| 14 | 14 | | Criminal Justice as if the person were an employee of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | department. The [This subsection does not entitle the] person's |
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| 16 | 16 | | spouse and dependents may be included in the person's [or other |
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| 17 | 17 | | dependent or family member to group health benefit plan] coverage |
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| 18 | 18 | | as if the person were an employee of the department. Coverage may |
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| 19 | 19 | | be obtained under this subsection for a period of time equal to the |
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| 20 | 20 | | total period the claimant served for the crime for which the |
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| 21 | 21 | | claimant was wrongfully imprisoned, including any period during |
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| 22 | 22 | | which the claimant was released on parole or to mandatory |
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| 23 | 23 | | supervision or required to register under Chapter 62, Code of |
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| 24 | 24 | | Criminal Procedure. A person who elects to obtain coverage under |
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| 25 | 25 | | this subsection shall pay a monthly contribution equal to the total |
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| 26 | 26 | | amount of the monthly contributions for that coverage for an |
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| 27 | 27 | | employee of the department. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. A person who, before the effective date of this |
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| 29 | 29 | | Act, obtained group health benefit plan coverage under Section |
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| 30 | 30 | | 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as the law existed |
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| 31 | 31 | | before the effective date of this Act, may elect to include the |
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| 32 | 32 | | person's spouse and dependents in the person's coverage as provided |
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| 33 | 33 | | by Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as amended |
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| 34 | 34 | | by this Act. An election under this section must be made: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) not later than March 1, 2022; or |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) during any subsequent open enrollment period |
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| 37 | 37 | | applicable to employees of the Texas Department of Criminal |
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| 38 | 38 | | Justice. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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