By: Martin H.B. No. 646 73R934 LGF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the right of certain municipal and county employees to 1-3 purchase a continuation of health benefits coverage at retirement. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Local Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Chapter 174 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 174. RIGHT OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES 1-8 TO PURCHASE CONTINUED HEALTH COVERAGE AT RETIREMENT 1-9 Sec. 174.001. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies to a 1-10 person who is leaving county or municipal employment. 1-11 Sec. 174.002. RIGHT TO PURCHASE CONTINUED COVERAGE. (a) A 1-12 person to whom this chapter applies who retires or has enough 1-13 credit in the governmental retirement plan that covers the person 1-14 to be able to retire with full benefits at an attained age is 1-15 entitled to purchase continued health benefits coverage for the 1-16 person and the person's dependents as provided by this chapter. 1-17 The coverage shall be provided under the group health insurance 1-18 plan or group health coverage plan provided by or through the 1-19 employing county or municipality to its employees. If the plan 1-20 that provided coverage while the person was employed by the county 1-21 or municipality is terminated, the coverage shall be provided under 1-22 the successor to that plan. 1-23 (b) To receive continued coverage under this chapter, the 1-24 person must inform the employing county or municipality, not later 2-1 than the 90th day after the date the person leaves employment with 2-2 the county or municipality, that the person elects to continue 2-3 coverage. 2-4 Sec. 174.003. LEVEL OF COVERAGE. (a) The person may elect 2-5 to cover the same persons who were covered under the county's or 2-6 municipality's group health insurance plan or group health coverage 2-7 plan through the person at the time the person left county or 2-8 municipal employment, or the person may elect to discontinue 2-9 coverage for one or more persons. A person who was not covered 2-10 under the plan at the time the person to whom this chapter applies 2-11 left county or municipal employment is not eligible for coverage 2-12 under this chapter. 2-13 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), the level 2-14 of coverage provided under this chapter at any given time is the 2-15 same level of coverage provided to current employees of the county 2-16 or municipality at that time. 2-17 (c) A county or municipality may substitute Medicare 2-18 supplement health benefits coverage as the coverage provided for a 2-19 person who receives health benefits coverage under this chapter, 2-20 including a dependent, after the date that the person becomes 2-21 eligible for federal Medicare benefits. 2-22 (d) The person may elect to continue coverage at a reduced 2-23 level, if offered by the county or municipality. 2-24 Sec. 174.004. PAYMENT FOR COVERAGE. A person who is 2-25 entitled to continued coverage under this chapter is entitled to: 2-26 (1) make payments for the coverage at the same time 2-27 and to the same entity that payments for coverage are made by 3-1 current employees of the county or municipality; and 3-2 (2) purchase the coverage at the group rate for that 3-3 coverage that exists at the time of payment. 3-4 Sec. 174.005. DUTY TO INFORM RETIREE OF RIGHTS. A county 3-5 and a municipality shall provide written notice to a person to whom 3-6 this chapter may apply of the person's rights under this chapter 3-7 not later than the date the person leaves employment with the 3-8 county or municipality. 3-9 Sec. 174.006. CERTAIN MATTERS NOT AFFECTED. This chapter 3-10 does not: 3-11 (1) prohibit a county or municipality from uniformly 3-12 changing the group health insurance plan or group health coverage 3-13 plan provided for its employees and retirees; 3-14 (2) affect the definition of a dependent or the 3-15 eligibility requirements for a dependent under a plan, except as 3-16 provided by Section 174.003(c); 3-17 (3) prohibit a county or municipality from agreeing 3-18 with a person to deduct the cost of coverage provided under this 3-19 chapter from a pension check; 3-20 (4) prohibit a county or municipality from increasing 3-21 the cost of group health coverage to its employees and to persons 3-22 covered under this chapter to reflect the increased cost, if any, 3-23 attributable to compliance with this chapter; or 3-24 (5) affect the right of a county or municipality to 3-25 provide coverage under Chapter 172. 3-26 Sec. 174.007. EXEMPTIONS. (a) A county or municipality 3-27 that does not provide health benefits coverage through a 4-1 self-insured plan or a plan authorized under Chapter 172 is not 4-2 required to provide coverage under this chapter if: 4-3 (1) the county or municipality makes a good-faith 4-4 effort to purchase insurance coverage that includes coverage 4-5 required by this chapter from an insurance company authorized to do 4-6 business in this state but is unable to find a provider for the 4-7 coverage; or 4-8 (2) the majority of the employees of a county or 4-9 municipality vote by secret ballot to be exempted from this 4-10 chapter. 4-11 (b) If the majority of the employees of a county or 4-12 municipality vote to be exempted from this chapter as provided by 4-13 Subsection (a), a new election shall be held not earlier than the 4-14 first anniversary of the preceding election if at least 20 percent 4-15 of the employees petition the presiding officer of the county or 4-16 municipality for a new election. 4-17 SECTION 2. (a) Chapter 174, Local Government Code, as added 4-18 by this Act, applies according to its terms to all eligible persons 4-19 who leave county or municipal employment on or after June 1, 1993. 4-20 In addition, notwithstanding Section 174.002(b), Local Government 4-21 Code, as added by this Act, a person who leaves county or municipal 4-22 employment before September 1, 1993, is entitled to purchase 4-23 continued health benefits coverage in accordance with Chapter 174, 4-24 Local Government Code, as added by this Act, if: 4-25 (1) the person is purchasing health coverage for the 4-26 person or for the person's dependents from or through the county or 4-27 municipality on September 1, 1993; and 5-1 (2) the person informs the employing county or 5-2 municipality, before December 1, 1993, that the person elects to 5-3 purchase continued coverage as provided by Chapter 174, Local 5-4 Government Code. 5-5 (b) A county or municipality that is required by Chapter 5-6 174, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, to provide 5-7 continued health benefits coverage, but that is not allowed to 5-8 provide the coverage under the terms of the county's or 5-9 municipality's existing group health plan, shall ensure that the 5-10 required continued health benefits coverage is provided for in any 5-11 plan that is adopted, amended, or renewed by the county or 5-12 municipality on or after September 1, 1993, unless the county or 5-13 municipality is exempted under Section 174.007, Local Government 5-14 Code, as added by this Act. The period during which a person must 5-15 inform a county or municipality that the person elects to continue 5-16 health benefits coverage under Chapter 174, Local Government Code, 5-17 as added by this Act, is extended by the amount of time that occurs 5-18 after the date that the person leaves county or municipal 5-19 employment and before the date that the person receives written 5-20 notice from the county or municipality that the person is presently 5-21 able to purchase the continued health benefits coverage required to 5-22 be provided under Chapter 174, Local Government Code, as added by 5-23 this Act. 5-24 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 5-25 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 5-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 6-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 6-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.