BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 816

80R4419 KCR-D                                                                                                             By: Averitt

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                                                            3/30/2007

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Under current law, public school employees who resign at the end of a school year are not entitled to remain on the school district's insurance policy during the summer months.  This causes public school employees to lose health insurance coverage during the summer months when they move to a position with a new school district.

 

As proposed, S.B. 816 entitles employees of school districts to remain on the district's group health insurance coverage through the summer months if their resignation was effective after the last day of an instructional year.  This bill also prohibits the school district and the Teacher Retirement System from diminishing or eliminating the amount of a contribution or salary supplementation available to an employee under Chapter 1579 (Texas School Employees Uniform Group Health Coverage) or Chapter 1581 (Employee Expenditures for School Employee Health Coverage Plans), Insurance Code, as long as the employee is eligible to participate or enroll in the group health insurance plan.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 22.004, Education Code, by adding Subsections (k) and (l), as follows:

 

(k)  Entitles, notwithstanding any other law, an employee of a school district (district) participating in the uniform group coverage program under Subsection (a) or providing group health coverage under Subsection (b) whose resignation is effective after the last day of an instructional year to participate or be enrolled in such programs through the first anniversary of the date participation in such programs was first made available to school district employees for the last instructional year in which the employee was employed by the district.

 

(l)  Prohibits the district and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, if an employee's resignation is effective after the last day of an instructional year, from diminishing or eliminating the amount of a contribution available to an employee under Chapter 1579 (Texas School Employees Uniform Group Health Coverage) or Chapter 1581 (Employee Expenditures for School Employee Health Coverage Plans), Insurance Code, before the last date on which the employee is entitled to participation or enrollment under Subsection (k).

 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2007-2008 school year.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2007.