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SB 28 - County Officers', Employees' Health Plan - election of plans

Gillis, Sr., Hugh M (20th)	Dean, Nathan (31st)	Bowen, Rooney L (13th)

Status Summary	SC:	I&L	HC:	Ins	FR:	01/15/99	LA:	04/28/99	Signed by Governor

First Reader Summary

A bill to amend Code Section 45-18-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the county officers' and employees' health plans, so as to amend certain provisions relating to election of plans; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date.

Code Sections - 45-18-5

SB 28  99                                             SB28/AP 
 
      SENATE BILL 28 
 
      By:  Senators Gillis of the 20th, Dean of the 31st, 
           Bowen of the 13th and others 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Code Section 20-2-55 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to per diem, expenses, and 
  1- 3  health insurance coverage of local board of education 
  1- 4  members, so as to provide for health insurance coverage of 
  1- 5  such members by inclusion in the state employees' health 
  1- 6  insurance plan; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 
  1- 7  of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the 
  1- 8  state employees' health insurance plan, so as to provide for 
  1- 9  health insurance coverage of local board of education 
  1-10  members by inclusion in such plan; to change certain 
  1-11  provisions relating to inclusion of county officers and 
  1-12  employees within health insurance plans; to provide for 
  1-13  related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal 
  1-14  conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-15       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-16                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-17  Code Section 20-2-55 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-18  Annotated, relating to per diem, expenses, and health 
  1-19  insurance coverage of local board of education members, is 
  1-20  amended by striking paragraph (1) of subsection (b) and 
  1-21  inserting in lieu thereof the following: 
 
  1-22      "(b)(1) A local board of education is authorized to 
  1-23      provide group medical and dental insurance for its 
  1-24      members who elect to participate.  Such insurance may be 
  1-25      provided through a group policy secured by the local 
  1-26      school district, a group policy secured by several local 
  1-27      school districts, or by a policy secured by an 
  1-28      organization of local school boards, or by contract with 
  1-29      the Georgia School Boards Association, Inc., under Code 
  1-30      Section 45-18-5 for the inclusion of members of the 
  1-31      local board of education and their spouses and 
  1-32      dependents within any health insurance plan or plans 
  1-33      established under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45. 
  1-34      A board providing such insurance shall pay no greater 
  1-35      percentage of the cost of that insurance than the 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1      percentage of the cost paid as an employer contribution 
  2- 2      by the state for the health insurance plan for state 
  2- 3      employees pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 
  2- 4      45.  The remainder of such insurance costs, and all the 
  2- 5      costs of any coverage for family members, shall be paid 
  2- 6      as an employee contribution by the board member." 
 
  2- 7                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2- 8  Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of 
  2- 9  Georgia Annotated, relating to the state employees' health 
  2-10  insurance plan, is amended by striking Code Section 45-18-5, 
  2-11  relating to inclusion of county officers and employees 
  2-12  within the plan, and inserting in lieu thereof the 
  2-13  following: 
 
  2-14    "45-18-5. 
 
  2-15    (a) The board is authorized to contract with the various 
  2-16    counties of this state for the inclusion of the employees 
  2-17    of any county within any health insurance plan or plans 
  2-18    established under this article.  The various counties of 
  2-19    this state are authorized to contract with the board as 
  2-20    provided in this Code section.  In the event that any such 
  2-21    contract is entered into, it shall be the duty of any 
  2-22    counties so contracting to deduct from the salary or other 
  2-23    compensation of its employees such payment as may be 
  2-24    required under any health insurance plan and to remit the 
  2-25    same to the board for inclusion in the health insurance 
  2-26    fund.  In addition, it shall be the duty of such county or 
  2-27    counties to make the employer contributions required for 
  2-28    the operation of such plan or plans. 
 
  2-29    (b) If a county does not offer or provide a health 
  2-30    insurance plan, health maintenance organization, or other 
  2-31    health benefits plan for its county officers, then such 
  2-32    county officers, by majority vote, County officials may 
  2-33    elect to be included in a health insurance plan, health 
  2-34    maintenance organization, or other health benefits plan 
  2-35    offered or provided by a county for its county officials 
  2-36    or any health plan or plans established under this 
  2-37    article.  The county commissioners governing authority of 
  2-38    a county may elect by majority vote to provide for payment 
  2-39    in a uniform manner of any portion, all, or none of the 
  2-40    employer contributions for or required premiums or 
  2-41    payments due from the county officers officials or former 
  2-42    county officers officials who under this Code section are 
  2-43    eligible for inclusion in the health plan or plans 
 
 
 
                                 -2- 
 
 
 
  3- 1    established under this article.  The board is authorized 
  3- 2    to contract with the County Officers Association of 
  3- 3    Georgia on behalf of the various counties of this state 
  3- 4    for the inclusion in any health insurance plan or plans 
  3- 5    established under this article employees of officials, 
  3- 6    spouses, and dependents of employees officials serving in 
  3- 7    one or more of the following capacities: probate judge, 
  3- 8    sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of the 
  3- 9    superior court, full-time or part-time state court judge, 
  3-10    solicitor, state court clerk or solicitor-general, chief 
  3-11    magistrate, juvenile court judge, or full-time chairperson 
  3-12    of the boar of commissioners; members of the county 
  3-13    governing authority and employees officials, spouses, and 
  3-14    dependents of employees officials leaving employment 
  3-15    office on or after December 31, 1996, who have served at 
  3-16    least 12 years in one or more of the following capacities: 
  3-17    probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, 
  3-18    clerk of the superior court, full-time or part-time state 
  3-19    court judge, solicitor, state court clerk or 
  3-20    solicitor-general, chief magistrate, juvenile court judge, 
  3-21    or full-time chairperson of the board of commissioners 
  3-22    members of the county governing authority.  The County 
  3-23    Officers Association of Georgia is authorized to contract 
  3-24    with the board as provided in this Code section.  In the 
  3-25    event that such a contract is entered into, it shall be 
  3-26    the duty of the County Officers Association of Georgia to 
  3-27    collect from the various counties of this state with which 
  3-28    it has contracted under this subsection and remit same to 
  3-29    the board such payment as may be required under any health 
  3-30    insurance plan for inclusion in the health insurance fund. 
  3-31    The County Officers Association of Georgia may add a 
  3-32    reasonable fee to the premiums required under the plan to 
  3-33    cover necessary administrative costs.  In addition, it 
  3-34    shall be the duty of the County Officers Association of 
  3-35    Georgia to maintain and remit to the board accurate 
  3-36    records of employee official, dependent, and other 
  3-37    information required by the board to administer this Code 
  3-38    section. 
 
  3-39    (c) The various counties of this state are authorized to 
  3-40    contract with the County Officers Association of Georgia 
  3-41    for the inclusion in any health insurance plan or plans 
  3-42    established under this article employees of officials, 
  3-43    spouses, and dependents of employees officials serving in 
  3-44    one or more of the following capacities: probate judge, 
  3-45    sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of the 
 
 
 
                                 -3- 
 
 
 
  4- 1    superior court, full-time or part-time state court judge, 
  4- 2    solicitor, or solicitor-general, chief magistrate, 
  4- 3    juvenile court judge, or full-time chairperson of the 
  4- 4    board of commissioners; members of the county governing 
  4- 5    authority and employees officials, spouses, and dependents 
  4- 6    of employees officials leaving employment office on or 
  4- 7    after December 31, 1996, who have served at least 12 years 
  4- 8    in one or more of the following capacities: probate judge, 
  4- 9    sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of the 
  4-10    superior court, full-time or part-time state court judge, 
  4-11    solicitor, state court clerk or solicitor-general, chief 
  4-12    magistrate, juvenile court judge, or full-time chairperson 
  4-13    of the board of commissioners members of the county 
  4-14    governing authority.  The County Officers Association of 
  4-15    Georgia is authorized to contract with the various 
  4-16    counties of the state as provided in this Code section. 
  4-17    In the event that any such contracts are entered into, it 
  4-18    shall be the duty of any counties so contracting to deduct 
  4-19    from the salary or other compensation of its employees 
  4-20    officials and otherwise collect from former employees 
  4-21    officials such payment as may be required under any health 
  4-22    insurance plan and to remit the same to the County 
  4-23    Officers Association of Georgia for payment to the board. 
  4-24    In addition To the extent employer contributions are not 
  4-25    fully made by a county, it shall be the duty of such 
  4-26    county or counties the covered officials and former 
  4-27    officials to make the such employer contributions required 
  4-28    on their behalf of employees and former employees for the 
  4-29    operation of such plan or plans. 
 
  4-30      (c.1)(1) Any local board of education may elect for 
  4-31      members thereof and their spouses and dependents to be 
  4-32      included in any health plan or plans established under 
  4-33      this article.  The board is authorized to contract with 
  4-34      the Georgia School Boards Association, Inc., on behalf 
  4-35      of the various local boards of education of this state 
  4-36      for the inclusion in any health insurance plan or plans 
  4-37      established under this article persons serving as 
  4-38      members of local boards of education and their spouses 
  4-39      and dependents.  The Georgia School Boards Association, 
  4-40      Inc., is authorized to contract with the board as 
  4-41      provided in this Code section.  In the event that such a 
  4-42      contract is entered into, it shall be the duty of the 
  4-43      Georgia School Boards Association, Inc., to collect from 
  4-44      the various local boards of education of this state with 
  4-45      which it has contracted under this subsection such 
 
 
 
                                 -4- 
 
 
 
  5- 1      payment as may be required under any health insurance 
  5- 2      plan for inclusion in the health insurance fund and to 
  5- 3      remit the same to the board.  In addition, it shall be 
  5- 4      the duty of the Georgia School Boards Association, Inc., 
  5- 5      to maintain and remit to the board accurate records of 
  5- 6      member, spouse, dependent, and other information 
  5- 7      required by the board to administer this Code section. 
 
  5- 8      (2) The various local boards of education of this state 
  5- 9      are authorized to contract with the Georgia School 
  5-10      Boards Association, Inc., for the inclusion in any 
  5-11      health insurance plan or plans established under this 
  5-12      article persons serving as members of local boards of 
  5-13      education and their spouses and dependents.  The Georgia 
  5-14      School Boards Association, Inc., is authorized to 
  5-15      contract with the various local boards of education of 
  5-16      the state as provided in this Code section.  In the 
  5-17      event that any such contracts are entered into, it shall 
  5-18      be the duty of any local boards of education so 
  5-19      contracting to deduct from the salary or other 
  5-20      compensation of its members such payment as may be 
  5-21      required under paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Code 
  5-22      Section 20-2-55 and to remit the same to the Georgia 
  5-23      School Boards Association, Inc., for payment to the 
  5-24      board. 
 
  5-25    (d) In administering this Code section, it shall be the 
  5-26    responsibility of the board to develop rates for coverage 
  5-27    based on the actual claims experience of the individuals 
  5-28    covered by this Code section.  The board shall require a 
  5-29    bond to assure the contractual performance of any entities 
  5-30    with which it contracts under this code section. 
 
  5-31    (e) Nothing in this Code section shall preclude the 
  5-32    exercise of any options or rights otherwise available to 
  5-33    such county officers or members of local boards of 
  5-34    education under other state or federal laws which relate 
  5-35    to extension or continuation of health benefits." 
 
  5-36                           SECTION 3. 
 
  5-37  Nothing herein shall be construed to allow county officials 
  5-38  or local school board officials to be included in the state 
  5-39  employee's health insurance plan except that the appropriate 
  5-40  agencies of state government may provide administrative 
  5-41  services, only, for county officials and local school 
  5-42  officials participating in various plans. 
 
 
 
 
                                 -5- 
 
 
 
  6- 1                           SECTION 4. 
 
  6- 2  This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the 
  6- 3  Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval. 
 
  6- 4                           SECTION 5. 
 
  6- 5  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  6- 6  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -6-