By Hamric                                        H.B. No. 707

      75R3863 DLF-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to payroll deductions for insurance premiums paid by

 1-3     certain county employees.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 155.062, Local Government Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 155.062.  REQUEST FOR DEDUCTION.  (a)  A request for an

 1-8     insurance deduction must:

 1-9                 (1)  [be in writing;]

1-10                 [(2)]  be submitted to the county officer authorized by

1-11     the commissioners court to administer payroll deductions; and

1-12                 (2) [(3)]  state the amount to be deducted and the

1-13     entity to which the amount is to be transferred.

1-14           (b)  A request remains in effect until the county officer

1-15     authorized to administer the insurance deductions receives a

1-16     written notice of change.  Unless the insurance policy to which the

1-17     request applies is not renewed or the employee seeks coverage under

1-18     a different policy, the employee is not required to resubmit a

1-19     request under this section at the end of a policy year or as part

1-20     of any applicable open enrollment period [revocation signed by the

1-21     official or employee].

1-22           (c)  An insurance deduction may not exceed the amount stated

1-23     in the request plus the amount of any increase in applicable

1-24     insurance premiums imposed after the date the request for deduction

 2-1     is submitted.

 2-2           (d)  If the amount of an applicable insurance premium is

 2-3     increased after the date the request for deduction is submitted,

 2-4     the county officer authorized to administer insurance deductions

 2-5     shall provide written notice of the increase to each affected

 2-6     employee.  The notice must be provided before the increase takes

 2-7     effect.

 2-8           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-9           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies to a request

2-10     for an insurance deduction under Section 155.062, Local Government

2-11     Code, that is submitted before, on, or after the effective date of

2-12     this Act.

2-13           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.