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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility of certain retired firefighters, police |
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officers, and emergency medical services providers to purchase |
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continued health benefits coverage. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 175.001, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 175.001. APPLICABILITY. (a) In this section, |
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"township" means a special district with territory that only |
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includes a census designated place, as designated by the United |
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States Bureau of the Census. |
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(b) This chapter applies to a person who: |
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(1) retires from: |
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(A) county employment in a county with a |
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population of 75,000 or more; |
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(B) employment by an appraisal district in a |
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county with a population of 75,000 or more; |
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(C) municipal employment in a municipality with a |
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population of 25,000 or more; [or] |
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(D) employment as a firefighter or emergency |
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medical services provider by an emergency services district located |
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wholly or partly in a county with a population of 150,000 or more; |
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or |
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(E) employment as a firefighter, police officer, |
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or emergency medical services provider by a township with a |
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population of 110,000 or more; and |
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(2) is entitled to receive retirement benefits from a |
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county, appraisal district, or municipal retirement plan, [or] |
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emergency services district, or township. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Chapter 175, Local Government Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies according to its terms to all eligible |
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persons who leave employment with a township on or after January 1, |
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2024. |
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(b) A township that is required by Chapter 175, Local |
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Government Code, as amended by this Act, to provide continued |
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health benefits coverage but that is not allowed to provide the |
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coverage under the terms of the township's existing group health |
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plan shall ensure that the required continued health benefits |
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coverage is provided for in any new plan that is adopted by the |
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township on or after January 1, 2024, unless the township is |
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exempted under Section 175.007, Local Government Code. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |