By Lewis of Tarrant H.B. No. 3178
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 Relating to health coverage under the Texas State College and
1-3 University Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sec. 3, Texas State College and University
1-6 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
1-7 Texas Insurance Code) is amended to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 3. (a) Unless a different definition is plainly
1-9 required by the context, the following words and phrases as used in
1-10 this Act shall have the following meanings:
1-11 (1) "Administrative carrier" shall mean any carrier or
1-12 organization, qualified to do business in Texas, designated by an
1-13 institution to administer any services, benefits, insurance
1-14 coverages, or requirements in accordance with this Act. [and the
1-15 council's regulations thereunder.]
1-16 (2) "Retired employee" shall mean: (A) [an] former
1-17 employee as defined in this Act, who has at least three years
1-18 service as an eligible employee with the employing institution,
1-19 whose last state employment prior to retirement was with the
1-20 institution and who retires or has retired under a retirement
1-21 provision under the jurisdiction of:
2-1 (i) [(A)] the Teacher Retirement System of
2-2 Texas, pursuant to Subtitle C, Title 8 Government Code;
2-3 (ii) [(B)] the Optional Retirement
2-4 Program, Chapter 830, Government Code; provided, however, that the
2-5 employee has met service requirements, age requirements and other
2-6 applicable requirements as may be promulgated by the institution
2-7 comparable to the requirements for retirement under the Teacher
2-8 Retirement System of Texas;
2-9 (iii) [(C)] the Employee Retirement System
2-10 of Texas;
2-11 (iv) [(D)] any other federal or state
2-12 statutory retirement program to which the institution has made
2-13 employer contributions; provided, however, that the employee has
2-14 met service requirements, age requirements and other applicable
2-15 requirements as may be promulgated by the institution comparable to
2-16 the requirements for retirement under the Teachers Retirement
2-17 System of Texas.
2-18 (B) An employee who meets the minimum
2-19 requirements as a retired employee as stated above except that the
2-20 last state employment prior to retirement is not at the institution
2-21 and the employee does not meet the requirements for a retired
2-22 employee pursuant to Section 3, Article 3.50-2, Texas Insurance
2-23 Code, the employee is eligible to enroll as a retired employee at
2-24 the institution.
2-25 (3) "Carrier" shall mean a qualified carrier as
3-1 defined by this Act.
3-2 (4) (A) "Employee" shall mean any person employed by
3-3 a governing board of an institution:
3-4 [(i) who retires under the provisions
3-5 cited in Subsection (a)(2) of this Section;]
3-6 [(ii)] (i) who receives his compensation
3-7 for services rendered to an institution [on a warrant or check
3-8 issued pursuant to a payroll certified by an institution or by an
3-9 elected or duly appointed officer of this state], and who is
3-10 eligible for participation in the Teacher Retirement System of
3-11 Texas, and is expected to work 20 or more hours per week and to
3-12 continue for at least 4 1/2 months or is appointed for 50% or more
3-13 of a standard appointment or;
3-14 [(iii)] (ii) who receives his compensation
3-15 for services rendered as provided in this subdivision but is not
3-16 permitted to be a member of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
3-17 because he is solely employed by an institution of higher education
3-18 that as a condition of employment requires the employee to be
3-19 enrolled as a student in the institution in graduate level courses
3-20 and who is employed at least 20 hours per week.
3-21 (B) Persons performing personal services for
3-22 such institutions as independent contractors shall never be
3-23 considered employees for purposes of this Act.
3-24 (5) "Employer" shall mean the institutions defined
3-25 elsewhere in Subsection ([8]7) of this section.
4-1 (6) "Group life, accident, or health insurance plan"
4-2 shall mean any group insurance policy or contract, life, accident,
4-3 medical, dental, or hospital service agreement, membership or
4-4 subscription contract, or similar group arrangement provided by an
4-5 administering carrier.
4-6 (7) "Institution" shall mean The University of Texas
4-7 System, or The Texas A&M University System, or Texas A&M University
4-8 System. [Texas Tech University, and the University of Houston
4-9 System, except that an institution that elects to participate in
4-10 the Employees Uniform Group Insurance Program under Section 3A of
4-11 the Texas Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article
4-12 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) on or before April 1, l992,
4-13 may not participate in the Texas State College and University
4-14 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Program after coverage has
4-15 begun under the Employees Uniform Group Insurance Program.]
4-16 (8) "Dependent" shall mean the spouse, as defined in
4-17 the Texas Family Code, of an employee or retired employee, and an
4-18 unmarried child under age 25 years of age including: (A) an
4-19 adopted child, (B) a stepchild, foster child, or other child who is
4-20 in a regular parent-child relationship, (C) any such child,
4-21 regardless of age, who lives with or whose care is provided by an
4-22 employee or retired employee on a regular basis, if such child is
4-23 mentally retarded or physically incapacitated to such an extent as
4-24 to be dependent upon the employee or retired employee for care or
4-25 support, as the institution shall determine.
5-1 (9) "President" shall mean the duly authorized chief
5-2 official of any institution covered under the provisions of this
5-3 Act or such other official as may be designated by a governing
5-4 board to carry out the provisions of this Act.
5-5 (10) "Qualified carrier" shall mean:
5-6 (A) any insurance company authorized to do
5-7 business in this state by the State Board of Insurance to provide
5-8 any of the types of insurance coverages, benefits, or services
5-9 provided for in this Act under any of the insurance laws of the
5-10 State of Texas, which has an adequate surplus, a successful
5-11 operating history, and which has had successful experience
5-12 providing and servicing any of the types of group coverage provided
5-13 for in this Act as determined by the State Board of Insurance;
5-14 (B) any corporation operating under Chapter 20
5-15 of the Texas Insurance Code which provides any of the types of
5-16 coverage, benefits, or services provided for in this Act, which has
5-17 had a successful operating history, and which has had successful
5-18 experience providing and servicing any of the types of group
5-19 coverages provided for in this Act as determined by the State Board
5-20 of Insurance; or
5-21 (C) any combination of carriers as herein
5-22 defined, upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the
5-23 institution; provided however, that for purposes of this Act
5-24 carriers combining for the purposes of bidding and/or underwriting
5-25 this program shall not be considered in violation of Sections l5.01
6-1 through l5.34, Chapter 15, Title 2, Competition and Trade
6-2 Practices, Texas Business & Commerce Code.
6-3 (11) "Service" shall mean any personal services of any
6-4 employee creditable in accordance with rules and regulations
6-5 promulgated by the institution.
6-6 (12) "Active employee plan" shall mean a plan or
6-7 program of group life, accident or health insurance for active
6-8 employees as determined by the institution as provided in this Act.
6-9 (13) "Retired employee plan" shall mean a plan or
6-10 program of group insurance as determined by the institution as
6-11 defined in this Act for all retired employees as defined in this
6-12 Act.
6-13 (14) "Cafeteria plan" means a plan as defined and
6-14 authorized by Section 125, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.
6-15 Sec. 125).
6-16 (15) "The University of Texas System" means entities
6-17 listed in Section 65.02, Education Code.
6-18 (16) For purposes of this section, "serious mental
6-19 illness" means the following psychiatric illnesses as defined by
6-20 the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and
6-21 Statistical Manual (DSM) III-R:
6-22 (A) schizophrenia;
6-23 (B) paranoid and other psychotic disorders;
6-24 (C) bipolar disorders (mixed, manic, and
6-25 depressive)
7-1 (D) major depressive disorders (single episode
7-2 or recurrent); and
7-3 (E) schizo-affective disorders (bipolar or
7-4 depressive).
7-5 (1[7]8) "The Texas A&M University System" means the
7-6 entities governed under Chapters 85 through 88, Education Code, and
7-7 includes the Texas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
7-8 (1[8]9) ["Texas Tech University" means Texas Tech
7-9 University, the Texas Tech Museum, and the Texas Tech University
7-10 Health Sciences Center.] "Basic Coverage" means health insurance
7-11 coverage and other coverages that meet the basic coverage standards
7-12 set out in Sec. 4(b)(1) of this article.
7-13 (19) ["University of Houston System" means the
7-14 entities governed under Section 111.20, Education Code.] "Optional
7-15 Coverage" means group coverages except basic coverage.
7-16 (b) In addition to the foregoing definitions, the
7-17 institution shall have the authority to define by rule any words
7-18 and terms necessary in the administration of this Act.
7-19 (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2) of this section, a
7-20 person who, before September 1, 1991, retired under Subtitle C,
7-21 Title 8, Government Code with at least five but less than 10 years
7-22 of service is a retired employee for purposes of this Act.
7-23 SECTION 2. Sec. 4, Texas State College and University
7-24 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
7-25 Texas Insurance Code) is amended to read as follows:
8-1 Sec. 4. (a) A Texas State College and University Employees
8-2 Uniform Insurance Benefits Program is hereby created. Each
8-3 institution shall implement the program for the benefit of its
8-4 employees and retired employees.
8-5 (b) each institution shall:
8-6 (1) determine basic coverage standards which shall be
8-7 comparable to those commonly provided in private industry and those
8-8 provided employees of other agencies and institutions of higher
8-9 education of the State of Texas under the Texas Employees Uniform
8-10 Group Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-2, Vernon's Texas
8-11 Insurance Code). The institution may design a plan around existing
8-12 local conditions.
8-13 (2) include in its respective bid documents for the
8-14 various coverages a provision calling for each bidder to identify
8-15 its administrative cost as a distinguishable figure and to
8-16 enumerate what services the bidder will render in exchange for the
8-17 administrative costs so identified.
8-18 (3) determine basic procedural and administrative
8-19 practices for insurance coverages to be provided [employees
8-20 covered] under the provisions of this Act.
8-21 (4) submit its program, including any agreement under
8-22 which a firm is engaged to administer a self-insured program, to
8-23 competitive bidding at least once every six years. It is further
8-24 provided that:
8-25 (A) The State Board of Insurance shall provide,
9-1 by request of the institution, a list of all carriers authorized to
9-2 do business in the State of Texas and who will be eligible to bid
9-3 on the insurance coverage or coverages provided in this Act.
9-4 (B) The State Board of Insurance shall, upon
9-5 request by the institution, examine and evaluate the bidding
9-6 contracts and certify their actuarial soundness to the institution
9-7 within 15 days from the date of request.
9-8 (C) The institution is not required to select
9-9 the lowest bid, but shall take into consideration other factors
9-10 such as ability to service contracts, past experience, financial
9-11 stability, and other relevant criteria. Should the institution
9-12 select a carrier whose bid differs from that advertised, the
9-13 reasons for such deviation shall be fully justified and recorded in
9-14 the minutes of the next meeting of the governing board of the
9-15 institution.
9-16 (D) The institution may select and contract for
9-17 services performed by health maintenance organizations that are
9-18 approved [by the federal government, if available, or] by the State
9-19 of Texas[, if available], to offer health-care services to eligible
9-20 employees and retired persons in a specific area of the state.
9-21 [Eligible employees and retired persons may participate in a
9-22 selected health maintenance organization in lieu of participation
9-23 in the health insurance benefits under this Act, and the employer
9-24 contributions provided by Section 13 of this Act for health care
9-25 coverage shall be paid to the selected health maintenance
10-1 organizations on behalf of the participants. A health maintenance
10-2 organization that has been approved to provide health care services
10-3 to employees and retired persons of the state under the Texas
10-4 Employees Uniform Group Insurance Benefits Acts (Article 3.50-2,
10-5 Vernon's Texas Insurance Code) is qualified upon proper application
10-6 to the institution to provide similar services to eligible
10-7 employees and retired persons of any institution or agency under
10-8 this Act located in the same area of the state. More stringent
10-9 requirements may not be imposed on health maintenance organizations
10-10 under this Act than are imposed by the state or by the federal
10-11 government.]
10-12 (5) adopt rules and regulations consistent with the
10-13 provisions of this Act and its purpose as it deems necessary to
10-14 carry out the statutory responsibilities.
10-15 (6) establish procedures to allow each covered
10-16 employee and retired employees to obtain prompt actions regarding
10-17 claims pertaining to insurance provided under this Act.
10-18 (c) An advisory committee for each institution shall be
10-19 selected, serve, and perform duties as hereinafter described:
10-20 (1) Selection. One member of the advisory committee
10-21 shall be elected from each of the components, units, or agencies of
10-22 the institution at such times as designated by the institution and
10-23 in accordance with general guidelines for such elections provided
10-24 by the institution.
10-25 (2) Qualifications of members. The members of the
11-1 advisory committee shall be chosen from among employees as defined
11-2 in this Act. The persons so elected shall demonstrate mature
11-3 judgment, special abilities, and sincere interest in employee
11-4 insurance programs and be able to represent the needs of all
11-5 employees of the component, unit, or agency represented with regard
11-6 to advisory committee actions.
11-7 (3) Terms of membership. Members of the advisory
11-8 committee elected under the terms of this Act shall serve for a
11-9 period of two years, subject to reelection. At the initial meeting
11-10 of the advisory committee, and subsequently each year, the members
11-11 who are elected shall elect a chairman and other such officers as
11-12 may be necessary. A vacancy shall be filled by an employee of the
11-13 same component, unit, or agency from which the vacancy occurred,
11-14 being appointed by the chief executive officer of the component,
11-15 unit, or agency for the balance of the vacated term.
11-16 (4) Duties:
11-17 (A) The advisory committee shall cooperate and
11-18 work with the governing board of the institution in coordinating
11-19 and correlating the administration of the group insurance program
11-20 among the various components, units, and agencies. Members of the
11-21 advisory committee shall cooperate and work with the governing
11-22 board of the institution as advisors in development,
11-23 implementation, coordination, and administration of the group
11-24 insurance programs among the various components, units, and
11-25 agencies.
12-1 (B) The advisory committee shall provide a
12-2 channel for open communication of ideas and suggestions regarding
12-3 coverages, eligibility, claims, procedures, bidding,
12-4 administration, and all other aspects of employee insurance
12-5 benefits.
12-6 (d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the
12-7 governing boards providing programs of benefits under this Act are
12-8 authorized to self-insure the programs and may, at their
12-9 discretion, engage a firm to administer the program. [Any plan of
12-10 coverages for which the Institution does not purchase insurance but
12-11 provides under this Act on a self-insured basis is exempt from any
12-12 other insurance law unless the law expressly applies to this plan
12-13 or this Act.]
12-14 (e) The governing board of each institution providing
12-15 benefits under this Act [may study the feasibility of establishing
12-16 a cafeteria plan and] may design, develop, adopt, implement, and
12-17 administer a cafeteria plan [if the governing board determines that
12-18 the establishment of a cafeteria plan is feasible, would be
12-19 beneficial to the institution and to employees who would be
12-20 eligible to participate in the cafeteria plan, and would not
12-21 adversely affect the insurance program established under this Act.]
12-22 The governing board may include in a cafeteria plan any benefit
12-23 that may be included in a cafeteria plan under federal law. In
12-24 addition to other authority granted to a governing board by this
12-25 Act, the governing board may cooperate and work with and may enter
13-1 into necessary contracts and agreements with one or more
13-2 independent and qualified agencies, persons, or entities to design,
13-3 develop, adopt, implement, or administer or to assist in the
13-4 design, development, adoption, implementation, or administration of
13-5 a cafeteria plan under this Act. A cafeteria plan may be designed,
13-6 developed, adopted, implemented, and administered by or on behalf
13-7 of an institution. If the governing board determines that a
13-8 cafeteria plan adopted under this subsection is no longer
13-9 advantageous to the institution and its employees, the governing
13-10 board may adopt an order terminating the cafeteria plan and
13-11 providing a procedure for the orderly withdrawal of the institution
13-12 and its employees from that plan.
13-13 (f) An institution may join with another institution to
13-14 procure one or more group contracts with any insurance company
13-15 authorized to do business in this state, insuring the employees and
13-16 retired employees of each participating institution. The purpose
13-17 of this authorization is to provide institutions of higher
13-18 education with the ability to obtain the benefits of economy and
13-19 improved coverages for their employees and retired employees which
13-20 may occur through increased purchasing economies for larger groups
13-21 of employees.
13-22 SECTION 3. Sec. 5, Texas State College and University
13-23 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
13-24 Texas Insurance Code) shall be amended to read as follows:
13-25 Sec. 5 Each institution shall assure that each employee and
14-1 retired employee insured under this Act is issued a certificate of
14-2 insurance or plan description setting forth the benefits to which
14-3 the employee and retired employee is entitled, to whom the benefits
14-4 are payable, to whom the claims shall be submitted, and summarizing
14-5 the provisions of the policy or contract principally affecting the
14-6 employee.
14-7 SECTION 4. Sec. 8, Texas State College and University
14-8 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
14-9 Texas Insurance Code) shall be amended to read as follows:
14-10 Sec. 8. (a) Carriers providing any policy purchased under
14-11 this Act shall provide an accounting to the institution not later
14-12 than 120 days after the end of each policy year. The accounting
14-13 for each line of coverage shall set forth, in a form acceptable to
14-14 the institution:
14-15 (1) the cumulative amount of premiums actually
14-16 remitted to the carrier under the policy from its date of issue to
14-17 the end of the policy year, the amount of premiums actually
14-18 remitted under the policy for each year from the anniversary date
14-19 to the end of that policy year;
14-20 (2) the total of all mortality and other claims,
14-21 charges, losses, costs, contingency reserve for pending and
14-22 unreported claims and expenses incurred for each of the periods
14-23 corresponding to each of the periods heretofore described in
14-24 Subsection (a)(1) of this section;
14-25 (3) the amounts of the allowance for a reasonable
15-1 profit, contingency reserves, and all other administrative charges
15-2 corresponding to each of the periods as heretofore described in
15-3 Subsection (a)(1) of this section.
15-4 (b) Any excess of the total of Subsection (a)(1) of this
15-5 section over the corresponding sum of Subsections (a)(2) and (a)(3)
15-6 of this section may be held by the carrier issuing the policy as a
15-7 special reserve. Such reserve may be used at the discretion of the
15-8 institution for, but not limited to, providing additional coverage
15-9 for participating employees or retired employees, offsetting
15-10 necessary employee or retired employees premium rate increases, or
15-11 to reduce participating employee or retired employees premium
15-12 contributions to the coverage. Any reserve held by the carrier
15-13 would bear interest at a rate determined each policy year by the
15-14 carrier and approved by the institution as being consistent with
15-15 the rate generally used by the carrier for similar funds held under
15-16 other group insurance policies.
15-17 SECTION 5. Sec. 9, Texas State College and University
15-18 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
15-19 Texas Insurance Code) shall be amended to read as follows:
15-20 Sec. 9. (a) All insurance benefits and other payments and
15-21 transactions made pursuant to the provisions of this Act to any
15-22 employee or retired employees covered under the provisions of this
15-23 Act shall be exempt from execution, attachment, garnishment, or any
15-24 other process whatsoever.
15-25 (b) Premiums on policies, insurance contracts, or agreements
16-1 with health maintenance organizations established under this Act
16-2 are not subject to any state tax.
16-3 SECTION 6 Sec. 10, Texas State College and University
16-4 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
16-5 Texas Insurance Code) shall be amended to read as follows:
16-6 Sec. 10. The amount of group life insurance and group
16-7 accidental death and dismemberment insurance in force on an
16-8 employee or retired employees at the date of his death shall be
16-9 paid, on the establishment of a valid claim, to the person or
16-10 persons surviving at the date of his death, in the following order:
16-11 (a) to the beneficiary or beneficiaries designated by the employee
16-12 or retired employees in a signed and witnessed writing received
16-13 before death in the employing office. For this purpose, a
16-14 designation, change, or cancellation of beneficiary in a will or
16-15 other document not so executed and filed has no force or effect.
16-16 (b) if no beneficiary is designated in accordance with
16-17 Subsection (a) of this section, payment shall be made in
16-18 accordance with the death benefit provisions of the Teacher
16-19 Retirement System of Texas, Chapter 3, Title 1, Texas Education
16-20 Code, as amended.
16-21 SECTION 7 Sec. 11, Texas State College and University
16-22 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
16-23 Texas Insurance Code) is amended to read as follows:
16-24 Sec. 11. No eligible employee or retired employee shall be
16-25 denied enrollment in any of the coverages provided by this Act;
17-1 provided, however, that the employee or retired employee may waive
17-2 in writing any or all such coverages. [Each policy of insurance
17-3 shall provide for automatic coverage on the date the employee
17-4 becomes eligible for insurance.] From the first day of service the
17-5 institution shall automatically provide Basic Coverage for, each
17-6 active full-time employee who has not waived basic coverage or
17-7 selected optional coverages [shall be protected by a basic plan of
17-8 insurance coverage automatically]. If the cost of an active
17-9 employee's or retired employee's basic coverage exceeds the amount
17-10 appropriated by the legislature for an employee or retired
17-11 employee, the institution must provide optional coverage at no cost
17-12 to the employee or retired employee. If the employee or retired
17-13 employee [chooses] receives the basic coverage rather than optional
17-14 coverage, the institution may deduct from or reduce the monthly
17-15 compensation of the employee or require payment from a retired
17-16 employee up to one-half of the amount that exceeds the state's
17-17 contribution for an employee, and the institution shall pay the
17-18 difference. Each employee or retired employee who is automatically
17-19 covered under this section may subsequently retain or waive the
17-20 basic plan and may make application for any other coverages
17-21 provided under this Act within [institutional and administrative
17-22 council] standards.
17-23 SECTION 8. Sec. 12. Texas State College and University
17-24 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
17-25 Texas Insurance Code) is amended to read as follows:
18-1 Sec. 12 Each institution and agency covered under the
18-2 provisions of this Act shall contribute monthly to the cost of each
18-3 insured employee's and retired employee's coverage no less than the
18-4 amount appropriated therefor by the legislature in the General
18-5 Appropriations Act. An amount equal to the amount appropriated for
18-6 an employee and retired employee under the General Appropriations
18-7 Act shall be appropriated for each employee and retired employee by
18-8 the governing board of the institution in its respective official
18-9 operating budget, if the employees are compensated from funds
18-10 appropriated by such budgets rather than by the General
18-11 Appropriations Act. Except for a participant in a cafeteria plan,
18-12 the employee and retired employee shall authorize in writing or
18-13 electronically and in a form satisfactory to the institution a
18-14 deduction from his monthly compensation of the difference between
18-15 the total cost of premiums and the amount contributed therefor by
18-16 the institution or agency. An employee who is participating in a
18-17 cafeteria plan shall execute a salary reduction agreement under
18-18 which his monthly compensation will be reduced in an amount that is
18-19 equal to the difference between the amount appropriated by the
18-20 General Appropriations Act or the institution's budget and the cost
18-21 of the employee's selected coverages for which he is eligible to
18-22 pay under the cafeteria plan. Also, the electing employee shall
18-23 execute a salary deduction agreement for any portion of the cost
18-24 that is not covered by state or institutional appropriations and
18-25 cafeteria plan contributions.
19-1 SECTION 9. Sec. 17, Texas State College and University
19-2 Employees Uniform Insurance Benefits Act (Article 3.50-3 Vernon's
19-3 Texas Insurance Code) is amended to read as follows:
19-4 Sec. 17 (a) Any employee or retired employee shall be
19-5 entitled to secure for his dependents any uniform group insurance
19-6 coverages provided for such dependents under the rules and
19-7 regulations to be promulgated by each institution. Premium
19-8 payments required of the employee or retired employee in excess of
19-9 employer contributions shall be deducted from the monthly pay of
19-10 the employee, or the employee's monthly pay shall be reduced in the
19-11 appropriate amount, or paid in such manner and form as the
19-12 institution shall determine.
19-13 (b) Any surviving spouse of an employee, who at the time of
19-14 death, had at least five years of service, including three years of
19-15 service as an eligible employee with the employing institution, or
19-16 retired employee may, following the death of the employee or
19-17 retired employee, elect to retain the spouse's authorized coverages
19-18 and also retain authorized coverages for any eligible dependent, at
19-19 the group rate for employees, provided at the time of death such
19-20 coverage was in effect for the spouse or dependent(s).
19-21 SECTION 10 The importance of this legislation and the
19-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
19-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
19-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
19-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.