05 LC 22
5949
House
Bill 920
By:
Representatives Smith of the
70th
and Horne of the
71st
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to local boards of education, and Article 1 of Chapter 18 of
Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the state
employeeś
health insurance plan, so as to authorize local boards of education to provide
health insurance benefits to members leaving office on or after a specified date
if such members have served on the board for at least 12 years; to provide that
such former members shall pay the entire cost of the health insurance coverage;
to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
3 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to local boards of education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-55, relating to
compensation of members of such boards, by striking subsection (b) and inserting
in lieu thereof the following:
"(b)(1)
A local board of education is authorized to provide group medical and dental
insurance for its members who elect to participate. Such insurance may be
provided through a group policy secured by the local school district, a group
policy secured by several local school districts, a policy secured by an
organization of local school boards, or in accordance with Code Section 45-18-5
providing for the inclusion of members of the local board of education and
their spouses and dependents within any health insurance plan or plans
established under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45.
It
Except for
former members of the local board of education eligible for coverage under
paragraph (4) of this subsection, it
shall be the duty of the board to make the employer contributions required for
the operation of such plan or plans. Except as provided in paragraph (3) of
this subsection, a board providing such insurance shall pay no greater
percentage of the cost of that insurance than the percentage of the cost paid as
an employer contribution by the state for the health insurance plan for state
employees pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45. The remainder of
such insurance costs, and all the costs of any coverage for family members,
shall be paid as an employee contribution by the board member. It shall be the
duty of the board to deduct from the salary or other remuneration of qualified
members or otherwise collect such payment from the qualified members or
dependents.
(2)
Taxes levied by or on behalf of a local board of education may be expended for
employer contributions, but not employee contributions, required for insurance
coverage of members of that board as provided in paragraph (1) of this
subsection. Taxes levied by or on behalf of a local board of education also may
be expended for contributions authorized in paragraph (3) of this subsection.
Such expenditures on behalf of any member may continue only as long as that
member continues in office and makes any employee contribution required for such
coverage. That member, and eligible dependents thereof, shall be ineligible for
coverage pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection upon
such
persońs
ceasing to serve as a member of a local board of education. Such expenditures
on behalf of any member in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection may
continue only as long as that member continues in office and makes any
contribution which is not the result of the board of
educatiońs
decision to allow its members to participate in the health insurance plan.
Expenditures authorized by this Code section shall be in addition to, and not in
lieu of, any salary, expense, per diem, or other compensation payable to that
member of a local board of education.
(3)
If a board member is already a member of a health insurance plan established by
Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 as a retired employee and the result of the
board of
educatiońs
decision to allow its members to participate is to establish dual eligibility
for a member and thus to increase the cost to such member of the state insurance
plan, then the local board may pay any additional cost imposed on such member as
a result of the local
board́s
decision to allow its members to participate in coverage under paragraph (1) of
this subsection.
(4)
A local board of education is authorized to provide group medical insurance for
a member and the spouse and dependents of a member leaving office on or after
December 31, 2006, if such member has served at least 12 years as a member of
the local board of education. A former member of a board of education who elects
group medical insurance coverage in accordance with this paragraph shall pay all
costs of such insurance. The local board of education shall remit such payments
to the health insurance fund created under Code Section
20-2-918."
SECTION
2.
Article
1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the state
employeeś
health insurance plan, is amended in Code Section 45-18-5, relating to county
officials and employees, by striking subsection (c.1) and inserting in lieu
thereof the following:
"(c.1)
(1)
Any local board of education may elect for members thereof and their spouses and
dependents to be included in any health plan or plans established under Code
Section 20-2-918. It shall be the duty of any local boards of education so
electing to deduct from the salary or other compensation of its members such
payment as may be required under paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Code Section
20-2-55 and to remit the same to the health insurance fund created under Code
Section 20-2-918.
(2)
Any local board of education may provide health insurance for a member and the
spouse and dependents of a member who leaves office on or after December 31,
2006, if such member has served at least 12 years as a member of the local board
of education. Such former members shall pay all the costs of the insurance, and
the board of education shall remit such payments to the health insurance fund
created under Code Section
20-2-918."
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective on July 1, 2006.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.