Bill Text: TX SB1654 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to studies concerning public school employee and retiree health coverage.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1654 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1654-Introduced.html
| 86R11141 MEW-D | ||
| By: Hughes | S.B. No. 1654 | |
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| relating to studies concerning public school employee and retiree | ||
| health coverage. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. SCHOOL EMPLOYEE AND RETIRED EMPLOYEE HEALTH | ||
| COVERAGE STUDIES. (a) Each regional education service center | ||
| established under Chapter 8, Education Code, shall study the health | ||
| coverage provided to: | ||
| (1) the employees of school districts and | ||
| open-enrollment charter schools located in the region served by the | ||
| regional education service center; and | ||
| (2) the retired employees of school districts and | ||
| open-enrollment charter schools located in the region served by the | ||
| regional education service center. | ||
| (b) Each study must: | ||
| (1) address whether, in lieu of the health coverage | ||
| provided by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas under Chapters | ||
| 1575 and 1579, Insurance Code, as applicable, it would be feasible | ||
| and advisable to provide health coverage in another manner; | ||
| (2) consider the feasibility and advisability of a | ||
| variety of options for providing alternative health coverage, | ||
| including coverage offered: | ||
| (A) by the regional education service center for | ||
| all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools located in | ||
| the region; | ||
| (B) jointly by groups of school districts and | ||
| open-enrollment charter schools located in the region for each | ||
| district and school participating in a group; | ||
| (C) by individual school districts and | ||
| open-enrollment charter schools in the region for the districts' | ||
| and schools' employees or retired employees, as applicable; and | ||
| (D) in a combination of the options described by | ||
| Paragraphs (A)-(C) of this subdivision; | ||
| (3) address whether alternative health coverage could | ||
| be provided at a cost savings to school districts and | ||
| open-enrollment charter schools, employees or retired employees, | ||
| as applicable, and the state; | ||
| (4) separately address issues relating to alternative | ||
| health coverage for districts' and schools' employees or retired | ||
| employees; and | ||
| (5) identify possible barriers to implementation of an | ||
| alternative health coverage program. | ||
| (c) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall study the | ||
| transfer of health coverage from the group programs under Chapters | ||
| 1575 and 1579, Insurance Code, as applicable, to alternative health | ||
| coverage as described by Subsection (b) of this section. In | ||
| conducting the study, the retirement system shall address the same | ||
| matters as are addressed by each regional education service center. | ||
| SECTION 2. REPORTS. Not later than January 31, 2020, each | ||
| regional education service center and the Teacher Retirement System | ||
| of Texas shall submit a report of the results of the studies | ||
| conducted under this Act, together with any recommendations | ||
| resulting from the studies, to the governor, the lieutenant | ||
| governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the | ||
| standing committees of the house and senate with jurisdiction over | ||
| insurance and education. | ||
| SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2019. | ||
