Bill Text: TX HB2516 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to health benefit plan coverage for conversion therapy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-17 - Referred to Insurance [HB2516 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2516-Introduced.html
| 87R7269 MWC-D | ||
| By: Meza | H.B. No. 2516 | |
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| relating to health benefit plan coverage for conversion therapy. | ||
| 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) "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 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 offered 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; | ||
| (6) a stipulated premium company operating under | ||
| Chapter 884; | ||
| (7) a fraternal benefit society operating under | ||
| Chapter 885; | ||
| (8) a Lloyd's plan operating under Chapter 941; or | ||
| (9) an exchange operating under Chapter 942. | ||
| (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; | ||
| (2) a standard health benefit plan issued under | ||
| Chapter 1507; | ||
| (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) health benefits provided by or through a church | ||
| benefits board under Subchapter I, Chapter 22, Business | ||
| Organizations Code; | ||
| (8) the state Medicaid program, including the Medicaid | ||
| managed care program operated under Chapter 533, Government Code; | ||
| (9) the child health plan program under Chapter 62, | ||
| Health and Safety Code; | ||
| (10) a regional or local health care program operated | ||
| under Section 75.104, Health and Safety Code; | ||
| (11) a self-funded health benefit plan sponsored by a | ||
| professional employer organization under Chapter 91, Labor Code; | ||
| (12) county employee group health benefits provided | ||
| under Chapter 157, Local Government Code; and | ||
| (13) 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 | ||
| issuer may not provide coverage for conversion therapy. | ||
| SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act | ||
| a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
| federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
| the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
| authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
| waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
