| 1 | 1 | | 89R6080 MEW-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Frank H.B. No. 2911 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to participation in the uniform group coverage program for |
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| 10 | 10 | | active school employees and additional state aid for public schools |
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| 11 | 11 | | that do not participate in that program. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 1579.155, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as |
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| 15 | 15 | | follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a [A] |
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| 17 | 17 | | participating entity that elects to discontinue participation in |
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| 18 | 18 | | the program under Subsection (a) may not elect to: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) participate in the program until the fifth |
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| 20 | 20 | | anniversary of the effective date of the entity's election to |
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| 21 | 21 | | discontinue participation; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) discontinue the entity's participation after an |
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| 23 | 23 | | election described by Subdivision (1) until the fifth anniversary |
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| 24 | 24 | | of the effective date of that election. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b-1) A participating entity that elected to discontinue |
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| 26 | 26 | | participation in the program between September 1, 2021, and |
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| 27 | 27 | | September 1, 2023, may elect to participate in the program before |
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| 28 | 28 | | the fifth anniversary of the effective date of that election. This |
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| 29 | 29 | | subsection expires September 1, 2030. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 2027, Subchapter F, |
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| 31 | 31 | | Chapter 48, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 48.276 to |
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| 32 | 32 | | read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | Sec. 48.276. ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTAIN GROUP HEALTH |
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| 34 | 34 | | COVERAGE. (a) This section applies only to a school district or |
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| 35 | 35 | | open-enrollment charter school that does not participate in the |
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| 36 | 36 | | uniform group coverage program established under Chapter 1579, |
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| 37 | 37 | | Insurance Code. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school to |
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| 39 | 39 | | which this section applies is entitled to additional state aid in an |
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| 40 | 40 | | amount equal to the product of: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) the quotient of: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (A) the amount appropriated in the General |
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| 43 | 43 | | Appropriations Act to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for |
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| 44 | 44 | | purposes of health care for public education active employees; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (B) the total number of employees employed by |
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| 46 | 46 | | districts and schools to which this section applies; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) the number of employees employed by the district |
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| 48 | 48 | | or school. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 50 | 50 | | use money provided under this section only to pay contributions |
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| 51 | 51 | | under a group health coverage plan for district or school |
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| 52 | 52 | | employees. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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