BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4222

By: Reynolds

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to allow a municipal school district to elect to provide health insurance coverage to district employees through the municipality or through a state-run program. C.S.H.B. 4222 seeks to address these calls by authorizing a municipal school district to elect to participate in the uniform group coverage program established under the Texas School Employees Uniform Group Health Coverage Act or to provide health coverage to the district's employees through the health coverage plan provided to the employees of the municipality.  

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 4222 amends the Insurance Code to authorize a municipal public school district that was operating on January 1, 2019, to elect to participate in the uniform group coverage program established under the Texas School Employees Uniform Group Health Coverage Act or to provide health coverage to the district's employees through the health coverage plan provided to the employees of the municipality in which the district is located. The bill requires a municipal school district that participates in the program and elects to provide health coverage to the district's employees through the health coverage plan provided to the employees of the municipality to withdraw from the program by notifying the Teacher Retirement System of Texas in writing.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4222 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute limits the applicability of the bill's provisions to a district that was operating on January 1, 2019.