78R7829 KCR-F

By:  Ellis                                                        H.B. No. 2526



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to health benefits for employees of community supervision 
and corrections departments.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 76.006, Government Code, is amended by 
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to 
read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), department 
employees are not state employees. A [The] department shall 
contract for all employee benefits, except health insurance 
benefits, with one county served by the department and designated 
for that purpose by the district judge or judges.  A department 
shall contract for all employee health insurance benefits with:
		(1)  a county served by the department;                                
		(2)  any other political subdivision of the state, 
including a municipality, county, or special purpose district; or
		(3)  the Employees Retirement System of Texas, 
operating under Chapter 1551, Insurance Code.
	(a-1) A department contracting for employee health insurance  
benefits under Subsection (a) must provide health insurance 
coverage for all active department employees.  A department 
contracting for employee health insurance  benefits under 
Subsection (a) may provide health insurance coverage for retired 
department employees or the spouses or dependents of active or 
retired department employees.
	(a-2) Department[, and the] employees are governed by 
personnel policies and, as applicable, employee benefits policies
equal to personnel policies for and benefits of other employees of 
the [that] county with which the department contracts for all or a 
portion of department employee benefits.
	SECTION 2.  Chapter 76, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 76.019 to read as follows:
	Sec. 76.019.  AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.  Notwithstanding any 
other law, a political subdivision of this state or the Employees 
Retirement System of Texas may contract with a department for the 
provision of group health benefits for active department employees, 
retired department employees, or the spouses or dependents of 
active or retired department employees under Section 76.006(a).
	SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, as 
effective June 1, 2003, is amended by adding Section 1551.114 to 
read as follows:
	Sec. 1551.114.  ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN COMMUNITY 
SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.  (a)  A community 
supervision and corrections department operating under Chapter 76, 
Government Code, may participate in the group benefits plan 
administered by the board of trustees under this chapter.
	(b)  Participation under this section is limited to those 
individuals or groups of individuals subject to a contract between 
the board and a community supervision and corrections department 
entered into under Section  76.019, Government Code.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.