86R8919 LED-F
By: Huffman S.B. No. 1682
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the administration of and benefits payable under the
Texas public school retired employees group insurance program and
the Texas school employees uniform group health coverage program
and certain expenditures for school employee health coverage.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 825.114(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the board
of trustees by rule shall determine the amount and manner of any
compensation or expense reimbursement to be paid members of an
advisory committee performing service for the retirement system for
performing the work of the advisory committee. All compensation
and expense reimbursements for an advisory committee established
under this section are payable from the expense account or the Texas
public [retired] school retired employees group health benefits
trust [insurance] fund, as applicable.
SECTION 2. Section 1456.004(c), Insurance Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) A facility-based physician who bills a patient covered
by a preferred provider benefit plan or a health benefit plan under
Chapter 1551, 1575, or 1579 that does not have a contract with the
facility-based physician shall send a billing statement to the
patient that contains a conspicuous, plain-language explanation of
the mandatory mediation process available under Chapter 1467 if the
amount for which the enrollee is responsible to the physician,
after copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance, including the
amount unpaid by the administrator or insurer, is greater than
$500.
SECTION 3. The heading to Chapter 1575, Insurance Code, is
amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 1575. TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL RETIRED EMPLOYEES GROUP HEALTH
BENEFITS PROGRAM
SECTION 4. Section 1575.001, Insurance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 1575.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as
the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Health Benefits
Act.
SECTION 5. Sections 1575.002(3) and (4), Insurance Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(3) "Fund" means the Texas public [retired] school
retired employees group health benefits trust [insurance] fund.
(4) "Group program" means the Texas Public School
Retired Employees Group Health Benefits [Insurance] Program
authorized by this chapter.
SECTION 6. The heading to Subchapter G, Chapter 1575,
Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL RETIRED [SCHOOL] EMPLOYEES GROUP
HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST [INSURANCE] FUND
SECTION 7. Section 1575.301(a), Insurance Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The Texas public [retired] school retired employees
group health benefits trust [insurance] fund is a trust fund with
the comptroller, who is custodian of the fund.
SECTION 8. Sections 1579.002(5) and (6), Insurance Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(5) "Participating entity" means an entity
participating in the uniform group health coverage program
established under this chapter. The term includes:
(A) a school district;
(B) another educational district whose employees
are members of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas;
(C) a regional education service center; and
(D) a charter school that meets the requirements
of Section 1579.154.
(6) "Program" means the Texas school employees uniform
group health coverage program established under this chapter.
SECTION 9. Section 1579.006(a), Insurance Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The following are exempt from execution, attachment,
garnishment, or any other process:
(1) benefit payments, including optional benefit
payments;
(2) contributions of [active] employees, the state,
and a participating entity, and any other contributions;
(3) any rights, benefits, or payments accruing to any
person under this chapter; and
(4) any money in the Texas school employees uniform
group health coverage trust fund.
SECTION 10. Section 1579.051, Insurance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 1579.051. ADMINISTRATION OF GROUP PROGRAM. The
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, as trustee, shall implement and
administer the uniform group health coverage program described by
this chapter.
SECTION 11. Section 1579.254, Insurance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 1579.254. CONTRIBUTIONS HELD IN TRUST FOR FUND. A
participating entity:
(1) shall hold contributions required by this
subchapter in trust for the Texas school employees uniform group
health coverage trust fund and its participants; and
(2) may not divert the contributions for any other
purpose.
SECTION 12. Section 1579.255(a), Insurance Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A participating entity that does not remit to the
trustee all contributions required by this subchapter before the
seventh day after the last day of the month shall pay to the Texas
school employees uniform group health coverage trust fund:
(1) the contributions; and
(2) interest on the unpaid amounts at the annual rate
of six percent compounded monthly.
SECTION 13. The heading to Subchapter G, Chapter 1579,
Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS SCHOOL EMPLOYEES UNIFORM GROUP HEALTH COVERAGE
TRUST FUND
SECTION 14. Section 1579.301, Insurance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 1579.301. FUND; ADMINISTRATION. The Texas school
employees uniform group health coverage trust fund is a trust fund
with the comptroller.
SECTION 15. The heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 1581,
Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT; MINIMUM EFFORT; REPORT
SECTION 16. Section 1581.052(b), Insurance Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) Amounts used as required by this section shall be
deposited, as applicable, in:
(1) the Texas school employees uniform group health
coverage trust fund established under Subchapter G, Chapter 1579;
or
(2) another fund established for the payment of
employee health coverage that meets requirements for those funds
prescribed by the Texas Education Agency.
SECTION 17. Subchapter B, Chapter 1581, Insurance Code, is
amended by adding Section 1581.055 to read as follows:
Sec. 1581.055. ANNUAL REPORT. Each school district, other
educational district whose employees are members of the Teacher
Retirement System of Texas, participating charter school, and
regional education service center shall annually report to the
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, according to rules adopted by
the board of trustees of the retirement system, the monthly amount
the school district, other educational district, participating
charter school, or regional education service center contributes
under this chapter.
SECTION 18. Section 1579.106(c), Insurance Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 19. Section 1456.004(c), Insurance Code, as amended
by this Act, applies only to charges for a health care service or
supply provided on or after the effective date of this Act. Charges
for a health care service or supply provided before the effective
date of this Act are governed by the law as it existed immediately
before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in
effect for that purpose.
SECTION 20. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.