88R8781 PRL-D

By: Hughes S.B. No. 1154

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment by regional education service centers of regional school district health coverage advisory committees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 8, Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter F to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER F. REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH COVERAGE ADVISORY

COMMITTEES

Sec. 8.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "advisory committee" means a regional school district health coverage advisory committee established under this subchapter.

Sec. 8.202. ESTABLISHMENT. The executive director of each regional education service center shall establish a regional school district health coverage advisory committee to study health coverage options available to employees of school districts served by that service center.

Sec. 8.203. COMPOSITION. An advisory committee is composed of nine members appointed by the executive director of each regional education service center as follows:

(1) three members who are superintendents employed by a school district served by the center;

(2) three members who are classroom teachers employed by a school district served by the center; and

(3) three members who are parents of students attending schools in school districts served by the center.

Sec. 8.204. TERM OF OFFICE; REAPPOINTMENT. (a) Members of an advisory committee serve staggered two-year terms, with the terms of four members expiring January 1 of each even-numbered year and the terms of five members expiring January 1 of each odd-numbered year.

(b) A person appointed to an advisory committee may be reappointed to that committee.

Sec. 8.205. REMOVAL FOR CAUSE. An advisory committee member may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the remaining members of the committee.

Sec. 8.206. VACANCY. The executive director of a regional education service center shall fill a vacancy on an advisory committee not later than two months after the date the vacancy occurs.

Sec. 8.207. STUDY. An advisory committee shall annually conduct a study of health coverage options available to employees of school districts served by the committee's regional education service center. The study must include, with respect to school districts in that committee's region, an assessment of health coverage plans, including cooperative health care programs, that are available on the open market or through self-funding of school district health care expenses, including for each plan:

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

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

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

Sec. 8.208. REPORT. (a) Not later than September 15 of each year, an advisory committee shall submit to the executive director of the committee's regional education service center a written report detailing the committee's findings from the study conducted under Section 8.207. The report must include:

(1) recommendations regarding the best available health care plans; and

(2) an assessment of the costs and services associated with each available plan.

(b) Not later than October 15 of each year, the executive director of each regional education service center shall provide each board of trustees and superintendent of a school district served by the center the report submitted under Subsection (a) in an electronic format. If an advisory committee report recommends entering into a cooperative health purchasing arrangement, the executive director of that regional education service center shall include in the report provided under this subsection information regarding methods by which the center could enter into the cooperative health purchasing arrangement.

(c) The executive director of each regional education service center shall schedule at least one in-person meeting with the superintendents of school districts served by the center to discuss the findings and recommendations included in an advisory committee report provided under this section.

SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2024, each executive director of a regional education service center shall appoint the members of the center's regional school district health coverage advisory committee, as required by Section 8.203, Education Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 8.204, Education Code, as added by this Act, in making the initial appointments under Subsection (a), the executive director of a regional education service center shall designate four members appointed to the center's regional school district health coverage advisory committee to serve terms expiring January 1, 2026, and five members to serve terms expiring January 1, 2025.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023.