Senate Bill 1168, known as “Michelle’s Law,” was passed last week by the Senate Health Committee without opposition. Authored by state Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), the bill will allow dependent college students to continue receiving health insurance for up to one year due to serious illness or injury.

Michelle’s Law is named after Michelle Morse, a New Hampshire college student who contracted colon cancer. The doctor’s request that Michelle cut back her course load raised a dilemma: losing full-time student status meant she would need to pay monthly continuation premiums of approximately $550 to keep her policy in effect.

This new bill will allow dependent college students to take up to 12 months’ medical leave with a physician’s signed consent. This applies to students who are covered under their parents’ health insurance plan and means the student can be absent from school or reduce course load to part-time.

Jana Saastad, communications director for Runner, said, “We have full backing of health care insurance companies. Blue Cross for sure, and others have given support.”

The bill still needs to go through appropriation, which means a dollar amount might get assigned to it. The bill will go to the senate floor if appropriation is not needed, then to the Assembly floor. If any amendments are needed, it will go back to Senate; if not, it goes straight to the governor. The earliest the bill will go into effect is New Year’s Day of next year, Saastad said.