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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to health insurance benefits for survivors of certain law |
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enforcement officers, fire fighters, and other public employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 615.073, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) On the request of an eligible surviving spouse described |
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by Subsection (a) or (b), the Employees Retirement System of Texas |
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or the political subdivision that employed the deceased individual, |
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as applicable, shall provide the health insurance benefits under |
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this section to the eligible surviving spouse at no cost to the |
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eligible surviving spouse until the earlier of the date benefits |
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under Section 615.022 are approved or six months after the date of |
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the individual's death. |
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SECTION 2. Section 615.074, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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(d) On the request of the duly appointed or qualified |
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guardian or other legal representative of an eligible surviving |
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dependent who is a minor child, the Employees Retirement System of |
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Texas or the political subdivision that employed the deceased |
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individual, as applicable, shall provide the health insurance |
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benefits under this section to the eligible surviving dependent at |
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no cost to the eligible surviving dependent or the duly appointed or |
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qualified guardian or other legal representative of the eligible |
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surviving dependent until the earlier of: |
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(1) the date benefits to the eligible survivor under |
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Section 615.022 are approved; |
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(2) the date benefits under Section 615.023 are |
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approved; or |
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(3) six months after the date of the individual's |
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death. |
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(e) On the request of an eligible surviving dependent who is |
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not a minor child, the Employees Retirement System of Texas or the |
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political subdivision that employed the deceased individual, as |
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applicable, shall provide the health insurance benefits under this |
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section to the eligible surviving dependent at no cost to the |
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eligible surviving dependent until the earlier of the date benefits |
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to the eligible survivor under Section 615.022 are approved or six |
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months after the date of the individual's death. |
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SECTION 3. Section 615.076(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) An eligible survivor may elect to purchase or continue |
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to purchase coverage at any level of benefits currently offered by |
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the employing entity to dependents of an active employee and that |
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were available to the deceased individual on the date of the |
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individual's death. |
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SECTION 4. Section 615.080, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 615.080. GRACE PERIOD. Health insurance benefits |
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coverage in force on the date of the decedent's death under which a |
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deceased individual listed under Section 615.071 covered one or |
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more other persons may not lapse before the date of the final |
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payment of benefits available to the person or persons under |
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Section 615.022 or 615.023, as applicable, [the 181st day after the
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date of the decedent's death] for failure to pay the premium. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an eligible surviving spouse or dependent of an individual who died |
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on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |