TITLE: Relating to state contributions for health benefit plan coverage under the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Benefits Act.

SUMMARY: Relating to state contributions for health benefit plan coverage under the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Benefits Act.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to state contributions for health benefit plan coverage under the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Benefits Act. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 1575.201, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 1575.201. ADDITIONAL STATE CONTRIBUTIONS; CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) The state through the trustee shall contribute from money in the fund an [: [(1) the total cost of the basic plan covering each participating retiree; and [(2) for each participating dependent, surviving spouse, and surviving dependent child, the] amount prescribed by the General Appropriations Act to cover all or part of the cost for each retiree [of the basic plan covering the dependent],surviving spouse, and surviving dependent child enrolled in a health benefit plan offered under the group program.(b) The trustee shall collect the amount of premium required for basic coverage under the group program that exceeds the amount contributed by the state for those individuals described by Subsection (a) [(a)(2)].(c) The trustee may spend a part of the money received for the group program to offset a part of the costs for dependent coverage if the group program is projected to remain financially solvent during the currently funded biennium. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a state contribution under Section 1575.201, Insurance Code, as amended by this Act, for a state fiscal year beginning on or after the effective date of this Act. A state contribution for a state fiscal year beginning before the effective date of this Act is 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 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.