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.  (a)  Notwithstanding Section 13C, Texas Employees
2-15     Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's
2-16     Texas Insurance Code), as added by this Act, an employee of a
2-17     public community/junior college who is employed to perform services
2-18     outside of this state and who is employed after the effective date
2-19     of this Act is eligible to participate in a group program provided
2-20     under the Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act
2-21     (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code), if the program is
2-22     provided under an insurance policy, contract, or other agreement
2-23     that:
2-24                 (1)  is in effect on the effective date of this Act;
2-25     and
2-26                 (2)  requires that the employee be eligible to
2-27     participate in the program provided under the insurance policy,
 3-1     contract, or other agreement.
 3-2           (b)  Eligibility to participate in a group program under
 3-3     Subsection (a)  of this section terminates on the date that the
 3-4     insurance policy, contract, or other agreement is terminated or
 3-5     renewed.
 3-6           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-12     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 362 was passed by the House on April
         16, 1999, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 362 on May 19, 1999, by the following
         vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 1, 1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 362 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 17, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
         0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor