Bill Text: TX SB1686 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to group health benefits coverage for persons wrongfully imprisoned.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-09-07 - Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal [SB1686 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB1686-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 1686 | ||
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| relating to group health benefits coverage for persons wrongfully | ||
| imprisoned. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The heading to Section 103.001, Civil Practice | ||
| and Remedies Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 103.001. CLAIMANTS ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION AND HEALTH | ||
| BENEFITS COVERAGE. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 103.001, Civil Practice and Remedies | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (d) Subject to this section, a person entitled to | ||
| compensation under Subsection (a) is also eligible to obtain group | ||
| health benefit plan coverage through the Texas Department of | ||
| Criminal Justice as if the person were an employee of the | ||
| department. This subsection does not entitle the person's spouse | ||
| or other dependent or family member to group health benefit plan | ||
| coverage. Coverage may be obtained under this subsection for a | ||
| period of time equal to the total period the claimant served for the | ||
| crime for which the claimant was wrongfully imprisoned, including | ||
| any period during which the claimant was released on parole or to | ||
| mandatory supervision or required to register under Chapter 62, | ||
| Code of Criminal Procedure. A person who elects to obtain coverage | ||
| under this subsection shall pay a monthly contribution equal to the | ||
| total amount of the monthly contributions for that coverage for an | ||
| employee of the department. | ||
| (e) Notwithstanding Section 103.053(c), annuity payments | ||
| may be reduced by an amount necessary to make the payments required | ||
| by Subsection (d), and that amount shall be transferred to an | ||
| appropriate account as provided by the comptroller by rule to fund | ||
| that coverage. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 103.051, Civil Practice and Remedies | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: | ||
| (f) To apply for coverage through the Texas Department of | ||
| Criminal Justice under Section 103.001(d), the claimant must file | ||
| with the department: | ||
| (1) an application for coverage provided for that | ||
| purpose by the department; and | ||
| (2) a statement by the comptroller that the | ||
| comptroller has determined the claimant to be eligible for | ||
| compensation under this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 1551.115 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 1551.115. PARTICIPATION BY WRONGFULLY IMPRISONED | ||
| PERSONS. Subject to Section 103.001, Civil Practice and Remedies | ||
| Code, a person who is entitled to compensation under Chapter 103, | ||
| Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is eligible to obtain health | ||
| benefit plan coverage under the group benefits program in the | ||
| manner and to the extent that an employee of the Texas Department of | ||
| Criminal Justice would be entitled to coverage, except that this | ||
| section does not entitle the person's spouse or other dependent or | ||
| family member to coverage. | ||
| SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
| person the comptroller of public accounts has determined to be | ||
| eligible for compensation as provided by Subsection (b), Section | ||
| 103.051, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, regardless of whether | ||
| the eligibility determination is made before, on, or after the | ||
| effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1686 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 29, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that | ||
| the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2011, by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1686 passed the House, with | ||
| amendment, on May 23, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 142, | ||
| Nays 0, one present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
