Relating to a biennial health coverage reference guide developed by the Texas Department of Insurance.
SB 1307 requires the Texas Department of Insurance, in consultation with the Health and Human Services Commission, to create a biennial public reference guide explaining health coverage in Texas. The guide must define key insurance terms, describe the main ways consumers obtain coverage, explain consumer rights and resources, and compare common coverage products and plan types, including employer coverage, short-term and disease-specific plans, HMOs, PPOs, EPOs, POS plans, and Affordable Care Act marketplace tiers. It must also explain provider networks, out-of-pocket costs, COBRA, how to recognize scams, and how consumers can seek help with complaints or disputes.
The department must publish the guide on its website and make printed copies available on request. The first edition is due by January 1, 2026, and the act takes effect September 1, 2025. The bill adds a new Chapter 524A to the Insurance Code and clarifies the division between state-regulated and federally regulated health coverage, including ERISA-related coverage.
SB 1307 amends the Texas Insurance Code by creating a new public education chapter that imposes an ongoing duty on the Texas Department of Insurance to produce and distribute a health coverage reference guide every two years. It does not directly regulate insurance products or change benefit mandates, but it does expand the department’s consumer education and outreach responsibilities and requires coordination with HHSC. The bill affects consumers, insurers, health coverage issuers, administrators, and anyone seeking information about Texas and federal health coverage rules.
The bill appears to have broad support as a consumer-information measure, passing the Senate unanimously and the House by a clear majority. The voting history suggests general agreement that Texans would benefit from a centralized, plain-language guide to navigating health coverage options and rights. The House vote was less unanimous than the Senate vote, indicating some reservations, but overall the measure was viewed favorably.
The main points of possible contention are not about the existence of the guide itself, but about the scope and framing of the information it must include. The bill requires comparisons of insurance and noninsurance products, short-term coverage, marketplace tiers, provider networks, and federal versus state regulation, which may raise concerns among insurers or policymakers about how those products are characterized. The House’s larger number of no votes suggests some members may have questioned the need for a state-produced guide, the administrative burden on TDI, or whether the content could be seen as favoring certain coverage choices over others.