Bill Text: MS HB528 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: State employees life and health insurance plan; revise to include coverage for county and municipal election commissioners under.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2023-01-31 - Died In Committee [HB528 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2023-HB528-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Insurance
By: Representative Wallace
House Bill 528
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ELECTION COMMISSIONERS SHALL BE CONSIDERED AN "EMPLOYEE" FOR PURPOSES OF THE STATE EMPLOYEES LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN; TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE SHALL PROVIDE ANNUALLY, BY LINE ITEM IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE APPROPRIATION BILL, SUCH FUNDS TO PAY THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION COMMISSIONERS UNDER THE STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 25-15-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
25-15-3. For the purposes of this article, the words and phrases used herein shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Employee" means a person who works full time for the State of Mississippi and receives his compensation in a direct payment from a department, agency or institution of the state government and any person who works full time for any school district, community/junior college, public library or university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus driver. This shall include legislators, employees of the legislative branch and the judicial branch of the state and "employees" shall include full-time salaried judges and full-time district attorneys and their staff and full-time compulsory school attendance officers. This shall include county and municipal election commissioners. For the purposes of this article, any "employee" making contributions to the State of Mississippi retirement plan shall be considered a full-time employee.
(b) "Department" means the Department of Finance and Administration.
(c) "Plan" means the State and School Employees Life and Health Insurance Plan created under this article.
(d) "Fund" means the State and School Employees Insurance Fund set up under this article.
(e) "Retiree" means any employee retired under the Mississippi retirement plan.
(f) "Board" means the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board created under Section 25-15-303.
SECTION 2. Section 25-15-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
25-15-15. (1) The board is authorized to determine the manner in which premiums and contributions by the state agencies, local school districts, colleges, universities, community/junior colleges and public libraries shall be collected to provide the self-insured health insurance program for employees as provided under this article. The state shall provide fifty percent (50%) of the cost of the above life insurance plan for all active full-time employees. The state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan for active full-time employees initially employed before January 1, 2006, except as otherwise provided in this section. For active full-time employees initially employed on or after January 1, 2006, the state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of a basic level of health insurance, except as otherwise provided in this section, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. The board, if determined to be necessary, may assess active full-time employees a portion of the active employee premium in an amount not to exceed Twenty Dollars ($20.00) per month, notwithstanding any language in this section to the contrary. All active full-time employees shall be given the opportunity to purchase coverage for their eligible dependents with the premiums for such dependent coverage, as well as the employee's fifty percent (50%) share for his life insurance coverage, to be deductible from the employee's salary by the agency, department or institution head, which deductions, together with the fifty percent (50%) share of such life insurance premiums of such employing agency, department or institution head from funds appropriated to or authorized to be expended by the employing agency, department or institution head, shall be deposited directly into a depository bank or special fund in the State Treasury, as determined by the board. These funds and interest earned on these funds may be used for the disbursement of claims and shall be exempt from the appropriation process.
(2) The state shall provide annually, by line item in the Mississippi Library Commission appropriation bill, such funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, for full-time library staff members in each public library in Mississippi initially employed before January 1, 2006. For full-time library staff members initially employed on or after January 1, 2006, the state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of a basic level of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. The commission shall allot to each public library a sufficient amount of those funds appropriated to pay the costs of insurance for eligible employees. Any funds so appropriated by line item which are not expended during the fiscal year for which such funds were appropriated shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year. If any premiums for the health insurance and/or late charges and interest penalties are not paid by a public library in a timely manner, as defined by the board, the Mississippi Library Commission, upon notice by the board, shall immediately withhold all subsequent disbursements of funds to that public library.
(3) The state shall annually provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, for public school district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week and regular nonstudent school bus drivers, if such employees and school bus drivers were initially employed before January 1, 2006. For such employees and school bus drivers initially employed on or after January 1, 2006, the state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of a basic level of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. Where federal funding is allowable to defray, in full or in part, the cost of participation in the program by district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during the week and regular nonstudent bus drivers, whose salaries are paid, in full or in part, by federal funds, the allowance under this section shall be reduced to the extent of such federal funding. Where the use of federal funds is allowable but not available, it is the intent of the Legislature that school districts contribute the cost of participation for such employees from local funds, except that parent fees for child nutrition programs shall not be increased to cover such cost.
(4) The state shall provide annually, by line item in the community/junior college appropriation bill, such funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, for community/junior college district employees initially employed before January 1, 2006, who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week. For such employees initially employed on or after January 1, 2006, the state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of a basic level of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan.
(5) The state shall provide annually, by line item in the Secretary of State appropriation bill, such funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, for county and municipal election commissioners in Mississippi initially employed before January 1, 2006. For county and municipal election commissioners initially employed on or after January 1, 2006, the state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of a basic level of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, or any lesser percentage of the cost that is not assessed to the employees by the board, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. The Secretary of State shall allot to each county or municipality a sufficient amount of those funds appropriated to pay the costs of insurance for election commissioners. Any funds so appropriated by line item which are not expended during the fiscal year for which such funds were appropriated shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year. If any premiums for the health insurance and/or late charges and interest penalties are not paid by a county or municipality in a timely manner, as defined by the board, the Secretary of State, upon notice by the board, shall immediately withhold all subsequent disbursements of funds to that county or municipality.
( * * *6) When the use of federal funding is allowable
to defray, in full or in part, the cost of participation in the insurance plan by
community/junior college district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours
during each week, whose salaries are paid, in full or in part, by federal funds,
the allowance under this section shall be reduced to the extent of the federal funding.
Where the use of federal funds is allowable but not available, it is the intent
of the Legislature that community/junior college districts contribute the cost of
participation for such employees from local funds.
( * * *7) Any community/junior college district
may contribute to the cost of coverage for any district employee from local community/junior
college district funds, and any public school district may contribute to the cost
of coverage for any district employee from nonminimum program funds. Any part of
the cost of such coverage for participating employees of public school districts
and public community/junior college districts that is not paid by the state shall
be paid by the participating employees, which shall be deducted from the salaries
of the employees in a manner determined by the board.
( * * *8) Any funds appropriated for the cost
of insurance by line item in the community/junior colleges appropriation bill which
are not expended during the fiscal year for which such funds were appropriated shall
be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year.
( * * *9) The board may establish and enforce
late charges and interest penalties or other penalties for the purpose of requiring
the prompt payment of all premiums for life and health insurance permitted under
this chapter. All funds in excess of the amount needed for disbursement of claims
shall be deposited in a special fund in the State Treasury to be known as the State
and School Employees Insurance Fund. The State Treasurer shall invest all funds
in the State and School Employees Insurance Fund and all interest earned shall be
credited to the State and School Employees Insurance Fund. Such funds shall be
placed with one or more depositories of the state and invested on the first day
such funds are available for investment in certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements
or in United States Treasury bills or as otherwise authorized by law for the investment
of Public Employees' Retirement System funds, as long as such investment is made
from competitive offering and at the highest and best market rate obtainable consistent
with any available investment alternatives; however, such investments shall not
be made in shares of stock, common or preferred, or in any other investments which
would mature more than one (1) year from the date of investment. The board shall
have the authority to draw from this fund periodically such funds as are necessary
to operate the self-insurance plan or to pay to the insurance carrier the cost of
operation of this plan, it being the purpose to limit the amount of participation
by the state to fifty percent (50%) of the cost of the life insurance program and
not to limit the contracting for additional benefits where the cost will be paid
in full by the employee. The state shall not share in the cost of coverage for
retired employees.
( * * *10) The board shall also provide for the
creation of an Insurance Reserve Fund and funds therein shall be invested by the
State Treasurer with all interest earned credited to the State and School Employees
Insurance Fund.
( * * *11) Any retired employee electing to purchase
retired life and health insurance will have the full cost of such insurance deducted
monthly from his State of Mississippi retirement plan check or direct billed for
the cost of the premium if the retirement check is insufficient to pay for the premium.
If the board determines actuarially that the premium paid by the participating retirees
adversely affects the overall cost of the plan to the state, then the board may
impose a premium surcharge, not to exceed fifteen percent (15%), upon such participating
retired employees who are under the age for Medicare eligibility and who were initially
employed before January 1, 2006. For participating retired employees who are under
the age for Medicare eligibility and who were initially employed on or after January
1, 2006, the board may impose a premium surcharge in an amount the board determines
actuarially to cover the full cost of insurance.
( * * *12) This section shall stand repealed
on July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.
