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.