Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
  89R2591 RDR-D     By: Cortez H.B. No. 813       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to health benefit plan coverage for treatment of autism.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 1355.001(3), Insurance Code, is amended   to read as follows:                (3)  "Autism spectrum disorder" means :                       (A)   a neurobiological disorder that   significantly affects verbal communication, nonverbal   communication, and social interaction and that meets the diagnostic   criteria for autism spectrum disorder specified by the Diagnostic   and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, or a later   edition; or                       (B)  a diagnosis of [ includes ] autism, Asperger's   syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise   Specified made using a previous edition of the Diagnostic and   Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders .          SECTION 2.  Sections 1355.015(a-1) and (c-1), Insurance   Code, are amended to read as follows:          (a-1)  At a minimum, a health benefit plan must provide   coverage for treatment of autism spectrum disorder as provided by   this section to an enrollee who is diagnosed with autism spectrum   disorder from the date of diagnosis[ , only if the diagnosis was in   place prior to the child's 10th birthday ].          (c-1)  The health benefit plan may [ is ] not limit [ required   to provide ] coverage under Subsection (b) for benefits for an   enrollee [ 10 years of age or older for applied behavior analysis in   an amount that exceeds $36,000 per year ].          SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   a health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on   or after January 1, 2026. A health benefit plan delivered, issued   for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2026, 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, 2025.