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.