81R3280 SGA-D
By: Edwards H.B. No. 2157
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the certification of benefits coordinators at state
agencies by the Employees Retirement System of Texas and related
reports.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 815, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER G. CERTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM AND REPORTING
Sec. 815.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Benefits coordinator" means an employee of a
state agency who has been designated by the agency as the person to:
(A) provide advice to employees of the agency on
benefits programs administered by the retirement system; and
(B) act as an agency liaison to the retirement
system.
(2) "Exception" means a request for assistance
processed by the retirement system that a benefits coordinator was
unable to handle in a timely manner.
Sec. 815.552. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR AGENCY BENEFITS
COORDINATORS. (a) The retirement system shall develop a
certification program that provides training for benefits
coordinators.
(b) The retirement system shall require a person who is a
benefits coordinator to be certified under the certification
program not later than the first anniversary of the date the person
was designated as the benefits coordinator.
(c) The retirement system shall develop a refresher course
to update the training of a certified benefits coordinator and
offer the course at appropriate intervals as determined by the
retirement system.
(d) The retirement system may charge a state agency for
training the agency's benefits coordinator in an amount not to
exceed the actual cost of providing the training.
Sec. 815.553. REPORT. Not later than June 1 of each year,
the retirement system shall provide to the board of trustees, the
governor, and the Legislative Budget Board a report covering the
preceding state fiscal year that includes:
(1) a list of state agencies that do not have a
benefits coordinator certified by the retirement system under the
program developed under Section 815.552;
(2) a list of state agencies that do not have dedicated
benefits staff;
(3) information related to providing support to the
agencies that do not have a certified benefits coordinator,
including:
(A) the costs incurred by the retirement system
associated with handling calls from those agencies;
(B) the number of exceptions the retirement
system processed for those agencies; and
(C) information about complaints received by the
retirement system from employees of those agencies; and
(4) suggested options for serving employees at small
agencies or agencies without dedicated benefits staff.
SECTION 2. (a) The Employees Retirement System of Texas
shall begin offering its certification program under Section
815.552, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than June
1, 2010.
(b) The Employees Retirement System of Texas shall submit
the first report required by Section 815.553, Government Code, as
added by this Act, not later than June 1, 2010.
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, 2009.