SLS 18RS-472 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 480
BY SENATOR JOHNS
GROUP BENEFITS PROGRAM. Provides with respect to the Office of Group Benefits.
(8/1/18)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 42:802(D) and 881(B), relative to the Office of Group Benefits;
3 to eliminate the requirement that all programs be adopted through the Administrative
4 Procedure Act; to eliminate the necessity for the Policy and Planning Board to
5 approve benefits plans or proposed rate structures; to provide for an effective date;
6 and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 42:802(D) and 881(B) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
9 follows:
10 §802. Powers and duties; Office of Group Benefits
11 * * *
12 D.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary,
13 any new plan of benefits or the annual plan of benefits submitted under the direction
14 of the commissioner of administration for any change to the life, health, or other
15 benefit programs program offered through the Office of Group Benefits that would
16 increase the cost to the state by one million dollars or more annually, or any
17 professional, personal, and or social services contracts contract other than contracts
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 480
SLS 18RS-472 ORIGINAL
1 a contract for legal services or actuarial services negotiated through the Office of
2 Group Benefits under the provisions of Chapter 17 of Subtitle III of Title 39 of the
3 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 as provided in Subsection A and Paragraph
4 (B)(8) of this Section or any contracts contract in connection therewith shall be
5 subject to review and final approval by the appropriate standing committees of the
6 legislature having jurisdiction over review of agency rules by the Office of Group
7 Benefits as designated by R.S. 49:968(B)(21)(c), or the subcommittees on oversight
8 of such standing committees, and the office of state procurement of the division of
9 administration by the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee
10 on Appropriations.
11 (2) The implementation of these programs or contracts in connection
12 therewith shall constitute a rule as defined by R.S. 49:951(6) and shall be adopted
13 and implemented through the procedures set forth in the Administrative Procedure
14 Act.
15 (3) Additionally, any adjustments to such contracts in the amount of one
16 million dollars or more shall require the review and approval of the oversight
17 committees before the modified contracts may be implemented. Such adjustments
18 shall indicate the fiscal impact to the plan of benefits as well as the rate structure, if
19 any, over the subsequent three years or maximum contract period.
20 * * *
21 §881. Establishment of the Group Benefits Policy and Planning Board
22 * * *
23 B. The Group Benefits Policy and Planning Board shall use any official
24 information provided by the Group Benefits Estimating Conference as may be
25 necessary in the review and approval of benefits plans and proposed rate structures
26 required by this Section.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 480
SLS 18RS-472 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Cooper.
DIGEST
SB 480 Original 2018 Regular Session Johns
Present law provides for the powers and duties of the Office of Group Benefits (OGB).
Present law requires any new plan of benefits or the annual plan of benefits submitted under
the direction of the commissioner of administration for the life, health, and other benefit
programs offered through OGB or any professional, personal, and social services contracts
other than contracts for legal services or actuarial services to be subject to review and final
approval by the appropriate standing committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over
review of agency rules for OGB.
Proposed law requires any change to the life, health, and other benefit programs offered
through OGB that would increase the cost to the state by one million dollars or more
annually and any contract for professional, personal, or social services, other than a contract
for legal or actuarial services, to be subject to review and final approval by the Senate
Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations.
Present law requires the implementation of programs or contracts offered through OGB to
be adopted and implemented through the procedures set forth in the Administrative
Procedure Act.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Present law requires OGB Policy and Planning Board to use any official information
provided by OGB Estimating Conference as may be necessary in the review and approval
of benefits plans and proposed rate structures required by present law.
Proposed law retains present law except that OGB is required to use official information
provided by the OGB Estimating Conference as may be necessary only in the review of
benefit plans and proposed rate structures required by present law.
Effective August 1, 2018.
(Amends R.S. 42:802(D) and 881(B))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.