TX HB1396

Expands mental health and substance use disorder coverage requirements to additional governmental health benefit plans, including basic coverage plans under Chapter 1551 (state employees), Chapter 1575 (teachers), Chapter 1579 (school employees), and Chapter 1601 (state university employees)

Requires these governmental health plans to comply with mental health parity requirements, ensuring coverage for mental health and substance use disorders is comparable to coverage for medical and surgical benefits

Assigns enforcement responsibility to the applicable trustee, board of trustees, or system (rather than the insurance commissioner) for evaluating governmental plan compliance with parity requirements across inpatient care, outpatient care, emergency care, and prescription drugs

Exempts certain governmental basic coverage plans from specific quantitative treatment limitation requirements while still subjecting them to broader mental health parity rules

Takes effect September 1, 2025, with requirements applying to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026