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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to studies concerning public school employee and retiree |
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health coverage. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. SCHOOL EMPLOYEE AND RETIRED EMPLOYEE HEALTH |
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COVERAGE STUDIES. (a) Each regional education service center |
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established under Chapter 8, Education Code, shall study the health |
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coverage provided to: |
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(1) the employees of school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools located in the region served by the |
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regional education service center; and |
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(2) the retired employees of school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools located in the region served by the |
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regional education service center. |
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(b) Each study must: |
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(1) address whether, in lieu of the health coverage |
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provided by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas under Chapters |
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1575 and 1579, Insurance Code, as applicable, it would be feasible |
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and advisable to provide health coverage in another manner; |
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(2) consider the feasibility and advisability of a |
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variety of options for providing alternative health coverage, |
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including coverage offered: |
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(A) by the regional education service center for |
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all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools located in |
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the region; |
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(B) jointly by groups of school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools located in the region for each |
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district and school participating in a group; |
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(C) by individual school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools in the region for the districts' |
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and schools' employees or retired employees, as applicable; and |
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(D) in a combination of the options described by |
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Paragraphs (A)-(C) of this subdivision; |
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(3) address whether alternative health coverage could |
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be provided at a cost savings to school districts and |
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open-enrollment charter schools, employees or retired employees, |
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as applicable, and the state; |
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(4) separately address issues relating to alternative |
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health coverage for districts' and schools' employees or retired |
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employees; and |
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(5) identify possible barriers to implementation of an |
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alternative health coverage program. |
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(c) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall study the |
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transfer of health coverage from the group programs under Chapters |
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1575 and 1579, Insurance Code, as applicable, to alternative health |
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coverage as described by Subsection (b) of this section. In |
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conducting the study, the retirement system shall address the same |
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matters as are addressed by each regional education service center. |
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SECTION 2. REPORTS. Not later than January 31, 2020, each |
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regional education service center and the Teacher Retirement System |
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of Texas shall submit a report of the results of the studies |
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conducted under this Act, together with any recommendations |
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resulting from the studies, to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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standing committees of the house and senate with jurisdiction over |
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insurance and education. |
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SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2021. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |