EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND PARITY LAW TRAINING; REPORT

(a) The commissioner, in collaboration with the Health and Human Services Commission's ombudsman for behavioral health, shall develop educational materials and parity law training sessions regarding the coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders required under this subchapter. The commissioner shall ensure that the materials and training sessions: (1) are available to health benefit plan issuers and enrollees; (2) include online, print, and in-person formats; (3) are made available through the parity complaint portal established under Section 1355.2571 and at relevant locations and settings, including: (A) any relevant agency offices; (B) health benefit plan provider service locations; and (C) relevant professional conferences and trade association meetings; and (4) include a list of relevant third-party organization educational and parity law awareness materials that provide additional information regarding mental health conditions and substance use disorder parity and, if provided in an online format, provide the links needed to access those materials online. (b) Not later than September 1 of each year, the commissioner, in collaboration with the Health and Human Services Commission's ombudsman for behavioral health, shall: (1) prepare and submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the appropriate state agencies on the status of: (A) rights and responsibilities for mental health condition and substance use disorder benefits; and (B) resolved and unresolved complaints submitted through the parity complaint portal established under Section 1355.2571(a); and (2) publish the findings of the report under Subdivision (1) to the parity complaint portal established under Section 1355.2571(a).