By Greenberg H.B. No. 3007 76R8994 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to health benefits plan coverage for children of certain 1-3 employees paid by state appropriated money. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. The Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance 1-6 Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is 1-7 amended by adding Section 14A to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 14A. COVERAGE FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF CERTAIN 1-9 EMPLOYEES. (a) Subject to any applicable limit in the General 1-10 Appropriations Act, the trustee shall use money appropriated for 1-11 employer contributions to fund basic coverage for a child who: 1-12 (1) is a dependent of an employee; 1-13 (2) is younger than 18 years of age; 1-14 (3) has a family income of less than 200 percent of 1-15 poverty level according to the poverty index prepared by the 1-16 federal Office of Management and Budget; and 1-17 (4) is not eligible for the state Medicaid program. 1-18 (b) Notwithstanding Section 14(d) of this Act, the employee 1-19 may not be required to contribute any amount towards coverage 1-20 provided under Subsection (a) of this section. 1-21 (c) The trustee shall identify employees who may be eligible 1-22 for dependent child coverage under Subsection (a) and notify the 1-23 employee that: 1-24 (1) the employee may be eligible for dependent child 2-1 coverage under Subsection (a) of this section; and 2-2 (2) the employee may apply for the coverage as 2-3 provided by Subsection (d). 2-4 (d) An employee who desires dependent child coverage under 2-5 this section shall apply to the Texas Department of Human Services 2-6 or other agency designated by the Health and Human Services 2-7 Commission to perform eligibility screening under this section. 2-8 The eligibility screening shall be coordinated with eligibility 2-9 screening for the state Medicaid program. The agency that performs 2-10 the eligibility screening shall certify to the trustee in writing 2-11 whether a child is eligible for dependent child coverage under 2-12 Subsection (a) of this section. 2-13 (e) The trustee shall ensure that, under any contract 2-14 implementing the basic coverage under this Act, a determination 2-15 that a dependent child is eligible for coverage under Subsection 2-16 (a) of this section is a change in status that entitles the 2-17 employee to enroll the child in the coverage without regard to any 2-18 enrollment period requirement that would otherwise be applicable. 2-19 SECTION 2. Section 15(b), Texas Employees Uniform Group 2-20 Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance 2-21 Code), is amended to read as follows: 2-22 (b) The state shall contribute to the cost of each 2-23 employee's individual and dependent group coverages the amounts 2-24 appropriated for the coverages in the General Appropriations Act. 2-25 The state may contribute a greater amount for coverage for 2-26 dependent children described by Section 14A(a) of this Act than the 2-27 state contributes for group coverages for other dependent children. 3-1 The governing board of each state department and institution of 3-2 higher education participating in the program established under 3-3 this Act shall pay the trustee a like amount for each employee's 3-4 individual or dependent group coverages for their employees who 3-5 are, and retirees who were, compensated from funds not appropriated 3-6 in the General Appropriations Act. The departments and 3-7 institutions shall include the required contributions from funds 3-8 not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act in their annual 3-9 operating budgets. Each state department and institution of higher 3-10 education participating in the program shall assure current 3-11 participant coverages based on the records of the trustee, make 3-12 timely payments of amounts due the trustee from all fund sources 3-13 under the control of the department or institution, and reconcile 3-14 trustee and agency records of coverages and payments monthly. 3-15 There is hereby allocated to the trustee, in accordance with the 3-16 provisions of this Act, from the several funds from which employees 3-17 receive their respective salaries, a sum equal to the total of all 3-18 employer contributions computed in accordance with the provisions 3-19 of this Act and the rules and regulations of the trustee 3-20 promulgated pursuant thereto. 3-21 SECTION 3. The Texas State College and University Employees 3-22 Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3, Vernon's Texas 3-23 Insurance Code) is amended by adding Section 17A to read as 3-24 follows: 3-25 Sec. 17A. COVERAGE FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF CERTAIN 3-26 EMPLOYEES. (a) Subject to any applicable limit in the General 3-27 Appropriations Act, an institution shall use money appropriated for 4-1 employer contributions to fund basic coverage for a child who: 4-2 (1) is a dependent of an employee; 4-3 (2) is younger than 18 years of age; 4-4 (3) has a family income of less than 200 percent of 4-5 poverty level according to the poverty index prepared by the 4-6 federal Office of Management and Budget; and 4-7 (4) is not eligible for the state Medicaid program. 4-8 (b) Notwithstanding Section 17 of this Act, the employee may 4-9 not be required to contribute any amount towards coverage provided 4-10 under Subsection (a) of this section. 4-11 (c) The institution shall identify employees who may be 4-12 eligible for dependent child coverage under Subsection (a) and 4-13 notify the employee that: 4-14 (1) the employee may be eligible for dependent child 4-15 coverage under Subsection (a) of this section; and 4-16 (2) the employee may apply for the coverage as 4-17 provided by Subsection (d). 4-18 (d) An employee who desires dependent child coverage under 4-19 this section shall apply to the Texas Department of Human Services 4-20 or other agency designated by the Health and Human Services 4-21 Commission to perform eligibility screening under this section. The 4-22 eligibility screening shall be coordinated with eligibility 4-23 screening for the state Medicaid program. The agency that performs 4-24 the eligibility screening shall certify to the institution in 4-25 writing whether a child is eligible for dependent child coverage 4-26 under Subsection (a) of this section. 4-27 (e) An institution shall ensure that, under any contract 5-1 implementing the basic coverage under this Act, a determination 5-2 that a dependent child is eligible for coverage under Subsection 5-3 (a) of this section is a change in status that entitles the 5-4 employee to enroll the child in the coverage without regard to any 5-5 enrollment period requirement that would otherwise be applicable. 5-6 SECTION 4. Section 13, Texas State College and University 5-7 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3, Vernon's 5-8 Texas Insurance Code), is amended to read as follows: 5-9 Sec. 13. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) Certification shall be 5-10 submitted on or before the first day of November next preceding 5-11 each regular session of the legislature; the institutions and 5-12 agencies covered under the provisions of this Act shall certify to 5-13 the Legislative Budget Board and budget division of the Governor's 5-14 Budget and Planning Office the amount necessary to pay employer 5-15 contributions for each active and retired employee from the 5-16 effective date of this Act. 5-17 (b) The state may contribute a greater amount for coverage 5-18 for dependent children of employees described by Section 17A(a) of 5-19 this Act than the state contributes for group coverages for other 5-20 dependent children. 5-21 (c) The Legislative Budget Board and the Governor's Budget 5-22 and Planning Office will establish procedures to insure that 5-23 eligible institutions request appropriate funds to support this 5-24 program and shall present appropriate budget recommendations to the 5-25 legislature. 5-26 (d) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Optional 5-27 Retirement Program carriers, and Employees Retirement System of 6-1 Texas shall furnish each institution such information as may be 6-2 deemed necessary by the institution to provide retired employees 6-3 with the coverages and employer contributions provided under the 6-4 Act. 6-5 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 6-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 6-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 6-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 6-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 6-10 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 6-11 passage, and it is so enacted.