Amend CSSB 1444 (senate committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  (a) In this section, "committee" means a regional school district health coverage advisory committee established under this section.

(b)  Each regional education service center established under Chapter 8, Education Code, shall establish a regional school district health coverage advisory committee to conduct a study assessing:

(1)  health care needs of and health coverage options currently available to employees of school districts served by that service center; and

(2)  alternative health coverage options that may be available.

(c)  The executive director of each regional education service center shall serve as the chair of that region's committee. The executive director shall appoint nine superintendents of school districts served by the regional education service center to serve as members of that region's committee.

(d)  The study must include, with respect to school districts in that committee's region, the following information:

(1)  an overview of current health coverage plans made available to district employees, including for each plan:

(A)  the amount paid by districts and by district employees for premium under the plan;

(B)  the schedule of benefits available under the plan; and

(C)  deductibles and other cost-sharing amounts applicable to services provided under the plan;

(2)  a survey of district employees using a scale that allows the district employee to indicate that the employee is very satisfied, satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied with:

(A)  the current costs to the employee of the employee's health coverage plan; and

(B)  benefits available and access to care under the employee's plan; and

(3)  an assessment of three alternative health coverage options that are available on the open market or through self-funding of school district health care expenses, including for each alternative:

(A)  the amount that would be paid by a district and district employees for premium under the alternative;

(B)  the schedule of benefits available under the alternative; and

(C)  whether, in obtaining the alternative, some or all of the districts in the region should jointly seek health coverage under that alternative as a group.

(e)  Not later than November 1, 2022, each committee shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, each standing committee of the senate or house of representatives having primary jurisdiction over public education or public retirement systems, the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, and the executive director of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas a written report on the study conducted by the committee under this section.

(f)  This section expires January 1, 2023.