06 LC 18
5467S
House
Bill 1279 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By:
Representatives Butler of the
18th,
Smith of the
131st,
Sheldon of the
105th,
Smith of the
168th,
and Willard of the
49th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 45-18-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to county officers and
employeeś
participation in the state health benefit plan, so as to provide sheriffs, tax
commissioners, clerks of superior court, and judges of the probate court with
the option of participating in the state health benefit plan for themselves and
their dependents; to provide for the coverage of their dependents; to provide
for the manner of exercising such option; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 45-18-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to county
officers and
employeeś
participation in the state health benefit plan, is amended by striking
subsections (b) and (c) and inserting in lieu thereof new subsections (b) and
(c) to read as follows:
"(b)(1)
Any sheriff, tax commissioner, clerk of superior court, or judge of the probate
court in office on July 1, 2006, may elect to be included in any health plan or
plans established under this article. Such election shall be made no later than
August 1, 2006. In addition, any person newly elected to the office of sheriff,
tax commissioner, clerk of superior court, or judge of probate court on or after
January 1, 2007, may elect to be included in any health plan or plans
established under this article. Such election shall be made within 31 days
after taking office. If such officials elect not to be included in a health
plan or plans established under this article, such officials shall not
thereafter be eligible for participating in a health plan or plans established
under this article. All such officials who leave office on or after December
31, 2006, who have served at least eight years in one or more of the following
capacities: probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, or clerk
of the superior court and who elected to participate in a health plan or plans
established under this article may continue such participation after leaving
office for themselves and their spouses and dependents. The governing authority
of a county may elect by majority vote to provide for payment in a uniform
manner of any portion, all, or none of the employer contributions for or
required premiums or payments due from such county officials or former county
officials who under this paragraph are eligible for inclusion in the health plan
or plans established under this article. The board may contract with the County
Officers Association of Georgia on behalf of the various counties of this state
for the collection of the health insurance premiums of such officials who elect
to be covered under this paragraph and their respective spouses and dependents.
The County Officers Association of Georgia is authorized to contract with the
board as provided in this Code section. Upon entering into such contract, it
shall be the duty of the County Officers Association of Georgia to collect from
the various counties of this state with which it has contracted under this
subsection and remit to the board such payment as may be required under any
health plan for inclusion in the health fund. The County Officers Association
of Georgia may add a reasonable fee to the premiums required under the plan to
cover necessary administrative costs. In addition, it shall be the duty of the
County Officers Association of Georgia to maintain and remit to the board
accurate records of official, dependent, and other information required by the
board to administer this Code section. To the extent employer contributions are
not fully made by a county, it shall be the duty of the covered officials and
former officials to make such employer contributions required on their behalf
for the operation of such plan or plans.
(2)
County officials may elect to be included in a health insurance plan, health
maintenance organization, or other health benefits plan offered or provided by a
county for its county officials or any health plan or plans established under
this article. The governing authority of a county may elect by majority vote to
provide for payment in a uniform manner of any portion, all, or none of the
employer contributions for or required premiums or payments due from the county
officials or former county officials who under this Code section are eligible
for inclusion in the health plan or plans established under this article. The
board is authorized to contract with the County Officers Association of Georgia
on behalf of the various counties of this state for the inclusion in any health
insurance plan or plans established under this article of officials, spouses,
and dependents of officials serving in one or more of the following capacities:
probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner or tax collector, clerk of the superior
court, full-time or part-time state court judge, solicitor, state court clerk,
or solicitor-general, chief magistrate, juvenile court judge, or members of the
county governing authority and officials, spouses, and dependents of officials
leaving office on or after December 31, 1996, who have served at least 12 years
in one or more of the following capacities: probate judge, sheriff, tax
commissioner or tax collector, clerk of the superior court, full-time or
part-time state court judge, solicitor, state court clerk, or solicitor-general,
chief magistrate, juvenile court judge, or members of the county governing
authority. The County Officers Association of Georgia is authorized to contract
with the board as provided in this Code section. In the event that such a
contract is entered into, it shall be the duty of the County Officers
Association of Georgia to collect from the various counties of this state with
which it has contracted under this subsection and remit to the board such
payment as may be required under any health insurance plan for inclusion in the
health insurance fund. The County Officers Association of Georgia may add a
reasonable fee to the premiums required under the plan to cover necessary
administrative costs. In addition, it shall be the duty of the County Officers
Association of Georgia to maintain and remit to the board accurate records of
official, dependent, and other information required by the board to administer
this Code section.
The Office of
Planning and Budget shall calculate the actual cost of the State Health Benefit
Plan and report to the Department of Community Health for pricing for nonstate
employees who are allowed to participate in the plan according to this Code
section."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.