By Hupp H.B. No. 362 76R2407 KEL-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the eligibility of certain higher education employees 1-3 to participate in group programs under the Texas Employees Uniform 1-4 Group Insurance Benefits Act. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance 1-7 Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is 1-8 amended by adding Section 13C to read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 13C. CERTAIN EMPLOYEES INELIGIBLE. (a) An employee of 1-10 a public community/junior college who is employed to perform 1-11 services outside of this state is not eligible to participate in 1-12 the group programs provided under this Act unless the college 1-13 elects, in accordance with procedures adopted by the trustee, to 1-14 permit such employees to participate in those programs. 1-15 (b) For purposes of this section, an employee is employed to 1-16 perform services outside of this state if 75 percent or more of the 1-17 services performed by the employee are performed outside of this 1-18 state. 1-19 (c) This section does not apply to a person employed by a 1-20 public community/junior college on August 31, 1999. That person 1-21 remains eligible to participate in the group programs provided by 1-22 this Act, in the same manner as other employees of the college, 1-23 even if the person's employment by the college is not continuous. 1-24 SECTION 2. Section 13(c), Texas Employees Uniform Group 2-1 Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance 2-2 Code), is amended to read as follows: 2-3 (c) Unless expelled from the program under Section 13A of 2-4 this Act or ineligible for the program under Section 13C of this 2-5 Act, each part-time employee and each employee of an institution of 2-6 higher education who is described by Section 3(a)(5)(A)(x) of this 2-7 Act is eligible for participation in the group programs provided 2-8 under this Act upon execution of appropriate application for 2-9 coverage. An institution of higher education shall, at the time of 2-10 employment, notify each eligible employee of the institution who is 2-11 described by Section 3(a)(5)(A)(x) of this Act of the employee's 2-12 eligibility to participate in the group programs provided under 2-13 this Act. 2-14 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect August 31, 1999. 2-15 SECTION 4. (a) Notwithstanding Section 13C, Texas Employees 2-16 Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's 2-17 Texas Insurance Code), as added by this Act, an employee of a 2-18 public community/junior college who is employed to perform services 2-19 outside of this state and who is employed after the effective date 2-20 of this Act is eligible to participate in a group program provided 2-21 under the Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act 2-22 (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code), if the program is 2-23 provided under an insurance policy, contract, or other agreement 2-24 that: 2-25 (1) is in effect on the effective date of this Act; 2-26 and 2-27 (2) requires that the employee be eligible to 3-1 participate in the program provided under the insurance policy, 3-2 contract, or other agreement. 3-3 (b) Eligibility to participate in a group program under 3-4 Subsection (a) of this section terminates on the date that the 3-5 insurance policy, contract, or other agreement is terminated or 3-6 renewed. 3-7 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 3-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.