Bill Text: TX HB2753 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to coverage for conversion therapy by a health benefit plan offered by a public employer.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-17 - Referred to Insurance [HB2753 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2753-Introduced.html
87R7573 MWC-D | ||
By: Meza | H.B. No. 2753 |
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relating to coverage for conversion therapy by a health benefit | ||
plan offered by a public employer. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 8, Insurance Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 1381 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 1381. PROHIBITION ON COVERAGE OF CONVERSION THERAPY | ||
Sec. 1381.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Conversion therapy" means a practice or treatment | ||
provided to a person by a health care provider or nonprofit | ||
organization that seeks to: | ||
(A) change the person's sexual orientation, | ||
including by attempting to change the person's behavior or gender | ||
identity or expression; or | ||
(B) eliminate or reduce the person's sexual or | ||
romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same | ||
sex. | ||
(2) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's | ||
having, or being perceived as having, a gender-related identity, | ||
appearance, expression, or behavior, whether or not that identity, | ||
appearance, expression, or behavior is different from that commonly | ||
associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. | ||
(3) "Public employer" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Section 619.001, Government Code. | ||
(4) "Sexual orientation" means the actual or perceived | ||
status of a person with respect to the person's sexuality. | ||
Sec. 1381.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter | ||
applies only to a health benefit plan offered to employees by a | ||
public employer that provides benefits for medical or surgical | ||
expenses incurred as a result of a health condition, accident, or | ||
sickness, including an individual, group, blanket, or franchise | ||
insurance policy or insurance agreement, a group hospital service | ||
contract, or an individual or group evidence of coverage or similar | ||
coverage document that is issued by: | ||
(1) an insurance company; | ||
(2) a group hospital service corporation operating | ||
under Chapter 842; | ||
(3) a health maintenance organization operating under | ||
Chapter 843; | ||
(4) an approved nonprofit health corporation that | ||
holds a certificate of authority under Chapter 844; | ||
(5) a multiple employer welfare arrangement that holds | ||
a certificate of authority under Chapter 846; or | ||
(6) a stipulated premium company operating under | ||
Chapter 884. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, this chapter applies to: | ||
(1) a small employer health benefit plan subject to | ||
Chapter 1501, including coverage provided through a health group | ||
cooperative under Subchapter B of that chapter, if offered by a | ||
public employer; | ||
(2) a standard health benefit plan issued under | ||
Chapter 1507, if offered by a public employer; | ||
(3) a basic coverage plan under Chapter 1551; | ||
(4) a basic plan under Chapter 1575; | ||
(5) a primary care coverage plan under Chapter 1579; | ||
(6) a plan providing basic coverage under Chapter | ||
1601; | ||
(7) a regional or local health care program operated | ||
under Section 75.104, Health and Safety Code, if offered by a public | ||
employer; | ||
(8) county employee group health benefits provided | ||
under Chapter 157, Local Government Code; and | ||
(9) health and accident coverage provided by a risk | ||
pool created under Chapter 172, Local Government Code. | ||
Sec. 1381.003. PROHIBITED COVERAGE. A health benefit plan | ||
to which this chapter applies may not provide coverage for | ||
conversion therapy. | ||
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only | ||
to a health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or | ||
renewed on or after January 1, 2022. A health benefit plan that is | ||
delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2022, | ||
is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the | ||
effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for | ||
that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |