Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1455 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 1455
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to health care benefits of persons wrongfully imprisoned.
6	6	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	7	SECTION 1. Section 103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies
8	8	Code, is amended to read as follows:
9	9	(d) Subject to this section, a person entitled to
10	10	compensation under Subsection (a) is also eligible to obtain group
11	11	health benefit plan coverage through the Texas Department of
12	12	Criminal Justice as if the person were an employee of the
13	13	department. The [This subsection does not entitle the] person's
14	14	spouse and dependents may be included in the person's [or other
15	15	dependent or family member to group health benefit plan] coverage
16	16	as if the person were an employee of the department. Coverage may
17	17	be obtained under this subsection for a period of time equal to the
18	18	total period the claimant served for the crime for which the
19	19	claimant was wrongfully imprisoned, including any period during
20	20	which the claimant was released on parole or to mandatory
21	21	supervision or required to register under Chapter 62, Code of
22	22	Criminal Procedure. A person who elects to obtain coverage under
23	23	this subsection shall pay a monthly contribution equal to the total
24	24	amount of the monthly contributions for that coverage for an
25	25	employee of the department.
26	26	SECTION 2. Section 1551.115, Insurance Code, is amended to
27	27	read as follows:
28	28	Sec. 1551.115. PARTICIPATION BY WRONGFULLY IMPRISONED
29	29	PERSONS. Subject to Section 103.001, Civil Practice and Remedies
30	30	Code, a person who is entitled to compensation under Chapter 103,
31	31	Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is eligible to obtain health
32	32	benefit plan coverage under the group benefits program in the
33	33	manner and to the extent that an employee of the Texas Department of
34	34	Criminal Justice would be entitled to coverage. The person's spouse
35	35	and dependents may be included in the person's coverage as if the
36	36	person were an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal
37	37	Justice[, except that this section does not entitle the person's
38	38	spouse or other dependent or family member to coverage].
39	39	SECTION 3. A person who, before the effective date of this
40	40	Act, obtained group health benefit plan coverage under Section
41	41	103.001(d), Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and Section 1551.115,
42	42	Insurance Code, as those laws existed before the effective date of
43	43	this Act, may elect to include the person's spouse and dependents in
44	44	the person's coverage as provided by Section 103.001(d), Civil
45	45	Practice and Remedies Code, and Section 1551.115, Insurance Code,
46	46	as amended by this Act. An election under this section must be
47	47	made:
48	48	(1) not later than March 1, 2024; or
49	49	(2) during any subsequent open enrollment period
50	50	applicable to employees of the Texas Department of Criminal
51	51	Justice.
52	52	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
53	53	______________________________ ______________________________
54	54	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
55	55	I certify that H.B. No. 1455 was passed by the House on May 1,
56	56	2023, by the following vote: Yeas 119, Nays 24, 1 present, not
57	57	voting.
58	58	______________________________
59	59	Chief Clerk of the House
60	60	I certify that H.B. No. 1455 was passed by the Senate on May
61	61	15, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 10.
62	62	______________________________
63	63	Secretary of the Senate
64	64	APPROVED: _____________________
65	65	Date
66	66	_____________________
67	67	Governor