By Talton                                             H.B. No. 3367
         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 participation in the Texas Employees Uniform Group
 1-3     Insurance Benefit Act by former members of the governing bodies of
 1-4     community/junior colleges who render at least 10 continuous years
 1-5     of service and who are at least 55 years of age.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Article 3.50-2, Insurance Code, is amended by
 1-8     amending Section 3(a)(5)(A)(vii) to read as follows:
 1-9                             (vii)  who is a member of the governing
1-10     body of an institution of higher education, as that term is defined
1-11     by this Act, or who was a member of the governing body of a
1-12     community/junior college who rendered at least continuous 10 years
1-13     of service and who is at least 55 years of age.
1-14           SECTION 2.  Article 3.50-2, Insurance Code, is amended by
1-15     amending Section 15 (b) to read as follows:
1-16           (b)  The state shall contribute to the cost of each
1-17     employee's individual and dependent group coverages the amounts
1-18     appropriated for the coverages in the General Appropriations Act.
1-19     The governing board of each state department and institution of
1-20     higher education participating in the program established under
1-21     this Act shall pay the trustee a like amount for each employee's
 2-1     individual or dependent group coverages for their employee's who
 2-2     are, and retirees who were, compensated from funds not appropriated
 2-3     in the General Appropriations Act.  The departments and
 2-4     institutions shall include the required contributions from funds
 2-5     not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act in their annual
 2-6     operating budgets.  Each state department and institution of higher
 2-7     education participating in the program shall assure correct
 2-8     participant coverages based on the records of the trustee, make
 2-9     timely payments of amounts due the trustee from all fund sources
2-10     under the control of the department or institution, and reconcile
2-11     trustee and agency records of coverages and payments monthly.
2-12     There is hereby allocated to the trustee, in accordance with the
2-13     provisions of this Act, from the several funds from which employees
2-14     receive their respective salaries, a sum equal to the total of all
2-15     employer contributions computed in accordance with the provisions
2-16     of this Act and the rules and regulations of the trustee
2-17     promulgated pursuant thereto.  Consistent with the foregoing
2-18     provisions of this subsection (b), a community/junior college may
2-19     elect to continue the health benefits of a person who was a member
2-20     of the governing body of such institution who rendered at least 10
2-21     continuous years of service and who has attained age 55.  The
2-22     required contributions shall be paid from funds under the control
2-23     of the institution and/or from the personal funds of a former
2-24     member, but in no instance shall required contributions be paid by
2-25     the state.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-3     emergency and imperative public necessity that the constitutional
 3-4     rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house
 3-5     be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.