Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB29 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 29
2	2	(Branch)
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the eligibility of certain postdoctoral fellows and
8	8	graduate students to participate in health benefit programs at
9	9	public institutions of higher education.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 1551.1022 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 1551.1022. PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY: CERTAIN
14	14	POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. (a) An individual who
15	15	is not eligible to participate in the group benefits program under
16	16	Section 1551.101 is eligible to participate in the group benefits
17	17	program under this section if the individual, at an institution of
18	18	higher education:
19	19	(1) holds:
20	20	(A) a postdoctoral fellowship; or
21	21	(B) one or more graduate student fellowships
22	22	awarded to the individual on a competitive basis that, either
23	23	singly or in combination, are valued at not less than $10,000 per
24	24	year; and
25	25	(2) is currently receiving a stipend from an
26	26	applicable fellowship.
27	27	(b) An individual who is eligible to participate in the
28	28	group benefits program under this section shall pay all
29	29	contributions required under this chapter for the coverage selected
30	30	by the individual, except that an institution of higher education
31	31	may make contributions for the individual from available funds
32	32	other than money appropriated to the institution from the general
33	33	revenue fund.
34	34	(c) An institution of higher education shall determine
35	35	which individuals are eligible to participate in the group benefits
36	36	program under this section and, at the time of initial eligibility,
37	37	shall notify each individual of the individual's eligibility to
38	38	participate in the program.
39	39	(d) An individual who participates in the group benefits
40	40	program under this section is not considered an employee of an
41	41	institution of higher education solely as a result of the
42	42	individual's participation in the program.
43	43	SECTION 2. Section 1551.151, Insurance Code, is amended to
44	44	read as follows:
45	45	Sec. 1551.151. ENTITLEMENT TO COVERAGE. An individual who
46	46	is eligible to participate in the group benefits program under
47	47	Section 1551.101, [or] 1551.102, or 1551.1022 is entitled to secure
48	48	for a dependent of the individual any group coverages provided
49	49	under this chapter, as determined by the board of trustees and
50	50	subject to the exceptions provided by this subchapter.
51	51	SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 1601, Insurance Code, is
52	52	amended by adding Section 1601.1021 to read as follows:
53	53	Sec. 1601.1021. PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY: CERTAIN
54	54	POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. (a) An individual who
55	55	is not eligible to participate in the uniform program under Section
56	56	1601.101 is eligible to participate in the uniform program under
57	57	this section if the individual, at an institution in a system:
58	58	(1) holds:
59	59	(A) a postdoctoral fellowship; or
60	60	(B) one or more graduate student fellowships
61	61	awarded to the individual on a competitive basis that, either
62	62	singly or in combination, are valued at not less than $10,000 per
63	63	year; and
64	64	(2) is currently receiving a stipend from an
65	65	applicable fellowship.
66	66	(b) An individual who is eligible to participate in the
67	67	uniform program under this section shall pay all contributions
68	68	required under this chapter for the coverage selected by the
69	69	individual, except that an institution of higher education may make
70	70	contributions for the individual from available funds other than
71	71	money appropriated to the institution from the general revenue
72	72	fund.
73	73	(c) An institution of higher education shall determine
74	74	which individuals are eligible to participate in the uniform
75	75	program under this section and, at the time of initial eligibility,
76	76	shall notify each individual of the individual's eligibility to
77	77	participate in the program.
78	78	(d) An individual who participates in the uniform program
79	79	under this section is not considered an employee of an institution
80	80	of higher education solely as a result of the individual's
81	81	participation in the program.
82	82	SECTION 4. Section 1601.107, Insurance Code, is amended to
83	83	read as follows:
84	84	Sec. 1601.107. COVERAGE FOR DEPENDENTS. An individual who
85	85	is eligible to participate in the uniform program under Section
86	86	1601.101, [or] 1601.102, or 1601.1021 is entitled to secure for a
87	87	dependent of the individual any group coverages provided under this
88	88	chapter for dependents under rules adopted by the applicable
89	89	system.
90	90	SECTION 5. Effective January 1, 2012, Subsection (d),
91	91	Section 1601.101, Insurance Code, is repealed.
92	92	SECTION 6. (a) The board of trustees of the Employees
93	93	Retirement System of Texas shall include coverage under Section
94	94	1551.1022, Insurance Code, as added by this Act, in an insurance
95	95	policy or contract or evidence of coverage delivered, issued for
96	96	delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2012. The board of
97	97	trustees may include coverage under Section 1551.1022, Insurance
98	98	Code, as added by this Act, in an insurance policy or contract or an
99	99	evidence of coverage delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed
100	100	before January 1, 2012, if the board of trustees determines that the
101	101	coverage may reasonably be included.
102	102	(b) The governing board of The University of Texas System or
103	103	The Texas A&M University System, as applicable, shall include
104	104	coverage under Section 1601.1021, Insurance Code, as added by this
105	105	Act, in an insurance policy or contract or evidence of coverage
106	106	delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1,
107	107	2012. The governing board of a system may include coverage under
108	108	Section 1601.1021, Insurance Code, as added by this Act, in an
109	109	insurance policy or contract or an evidence of coverage delivered,
110	110	issued for delivery, or renewed before January 1, 2012, if the
111	111	governing board determines that the coverage may reasonably be
112	112	included.
113	113	SECTION 7. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
114	114	Act takes effect September 1, 2011.