BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1191

By: Flores

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires a retiring teacher to decide whether to enroll for continued coverage under the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program of the Teachers Retirement System on the day their retirement commences.  Retiring teachers are not provided with an adequate amount of time to research different insurance options within the private sector. 

H.B. 1191 allows a retired teacher time to gather and analyze important information as it pertains to the insurance coverage.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1191 amends the Insurance Code to extend the specified enrollment period during which a retiree who is eligible for coverage under the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance Program of the Teacher Retirement System may select any insurance benefit coverage for which the person is eligible so that the person may select such coverage at any time beginning with the date the person retires up to and including the 90th day after that retirement date or during any other open enrollment periods for a retiree set by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas by rule, rather than being authorized to make that selection of coverage only on the date of the person's retirement or during an open enrollment period set by trustee rule.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.