MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2007 Regular Session
To: Education; Appropriations
By: Representative Guice
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 25-15-3, 25-15-15 AND 37-151-95, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE SHALL PAY 100% OF THE COST OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR ALL RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS; TO AMEND SECTION 25-11-127, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE AMOUNT PAID BY THE STATE FOR THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR THOSE RETIREES SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE SALARY, EARNED COMPENSATION OR AVERAGE COMPENSATION OF THOSE RETIREES WHO ARE EMPLOYED AFTER RETIREMENT; 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:
[Through June 30 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-3. For the purposes of this article, the words and phrases used in this section shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Employee" means any 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; 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; any regular nonstudent bus driver; and any retired member of the Public Employees' Retirement System who is employed by a public school district as a school bus driver. This term includes legislators, employees of the legislative branch and the judicial branch of the state, full-time salaried judges and full-time district attorneys and their staff and full-time compulsory school attendance officers. For the purposes of this article, any "employee" making contributions to the Public Employees' Retirement System or the Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System 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 who is retired under the Public Employees' Retirement System or the Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System and is receiving a retirement allowance from either system.
(f) "Board" means the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board created under Section 25-15-303.
[From and after July 1 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-3. For the purposes of this article, the words and phrases used in this section shall have the following meanings:
(a) "Employee" means any 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; any person who works full time for any school district, community/junior college, public library, university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children; and any regular nonstudent bus driver. This term includes legislators, employees of the legislative branch and the judicial branch of the state, full-time salaried judges and full-time district attorneys and their staff, and full-time compulsory school attendance officers. For the purposes of this article, any "employee" making contributions to the Public Employees' Retirement System or the Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System 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) "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:
[Through June 30 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-15. (1) The board may determine the manner in which premiums and contributions by the state agencies, local school districts, colleges, universities, community/junior colleges and public libraries will 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 not share in the cost of the life insurance plan for retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by public school districts as school bus drivers. The state shall provide one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan for active full-time employees who were initially employed before January 1, 2006, and all retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by public school districts as school bus drivers. For active full-time employees who were 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, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. All active full-time employees shall be given the opportunity to purchase coverage for their eligible dependents with the premiums for the dependent coverage, as well as the employee's fifty percent (50%) share for his or her life insurance coverage, to be deductible from the employee's salary by the agency, department or institution head. Those deductions, together with the fifty percent (50%) share of the life insurance premiums of the 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, the funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan for full-time library staff members in each public library in Mississippi who were initially employed before January 1, 2006. For full-time library staff members who were 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, 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 that are not expended during the fiscal year for which the 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 later 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 for public school district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week and regular nonstudent school bus drivers, if those employees and school bus drivers were initially employed before January 1, 2006, and retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by public school districts as school bus drivers. For those employees and regular nonstudent school bus drivers who were 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, 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, regular nonstudent bus drivers, and retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by public school districts as school 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 that 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 the employees from local funds, except that parent fees for child nutrition programs shall not be increased to cover that cost.
(4) The state shall provide annually, by line item in the community/junior college appropriation bill, the funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan for community/junior college district employees who were initially employed before January 1, 2006, and who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week. For those employees who were 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, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan.
(5) 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 the employees from local funds.
(6) 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 funds other than adequate education program funds. Any part of the cost of the 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.
(7) Any funds appropriated for the cost of insurance by line item in the community/junior colleges appropriation bill that are not expended during the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year.
(8) 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 Chapter 15 of Title 25. 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. Those funds shall be placed with one or more depositories of the state and invested on the first day that the 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 the investment is made from competitive offering and at the highest and best market rate obtainable consistent with any available investment alternatives. However, those investments shall not be made in shares of stock, common or preferred, or in any other investments that 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, except for retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by public school districts as school bus drivers.
(9) The board shall also provide for the creation of an Insurance Reserve Fund, and funds in the reserve fund shall be invested by the State Treasurer with all interest earned credited to the State and School Employees Insurance Fund.
(10) Any retired employee electing to purchase retired life and health insurance will have the full cost of the 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 the 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.
[From and after July 1 of the year in which Section 25-11-143 becomes effective as provided in subsection (1) of Section 25-11-143, this section shall read as follows:]
25-15-15. (1) The board may determine the manner in which premiums and contributions by the state agencies, local school districts, colleges, universities, community/junior colleges and public libraries will 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 who were initially employed before January 1, 2006. For active full-time employees who were 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, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan. All active full-time employees shall be given the opportunity to purchase coverage for their eligible dependents with the premiums for the dependent coverage, as well as the employee's fifty percent (50%) share for his or her life insurance coverage, to be deductible from the employee's salary by the agency, department or institution head. Those deductions, together with the fifty percent (50%) share of the life insurance premiums of the 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, the funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of health insurance under the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan for all full-time library staff members in each public library in Mississippi who were initially employed before January 1, 2006. For full-time library staff members who were 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, 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 that are not expended during the fiscal year for which the 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 later 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 for public school district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week and regular nonstudent school bus drivers, if those employees and school bus drivers were initially employed before January 1, 2006. For those employees and school bus drivers who were 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, 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 that 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 the employees from local funds, except that parent fees for child nutrition programs shall not be increased to cover that cost.
(4) The state shall provide annually, by line item in the community/junior college appropriation bill, the funds to pay one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the health insurance plan for community/junior college district employees who were initially employed before January 1, 2006, and who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week. For those employees who were 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, and the employees may pay additional amounts to purchase additional benefits or levels of coverage offered under the plan.
(5) 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 the employees from local funds.
(6) 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 funds other than adequate education program funds. Any part of the cost of the 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.
(7) Any funds appropriated for the cost of insurance by line item in the community/junior colleges appropriation bill that are not expended during the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year.
(8) 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 Chapter 15 of Title 25. 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. Those funds shall be placed with one or more depositories of the state and invested on the first day that the 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 the investment is made from competitive offering and at the highest and best market rate obtainable consistent with any available investment alternatives. However, those investments shall not be made in shares of stock, common or preferred, or in any other investments that 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.
(9) The board shall also provide for the creation of an Insurance Reserve Fund, and funds in the reserve fund shall be invested by the State Treasurer with all interest earned credited to the State and School Employees Insurance Fund.
SECTION 3. Section 37-151-95, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-151-95. Adequate education program funds shall include one hundred percent (100%) of the cost of the State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance Plan created under Article 7, Chapter 15, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972, for all district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week, regular nonstudent school bus drivers employed by the district, and retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by the district as school bus drivers.
Where the use of federal funding is allowable to defray, in full or in part, the cost of participation in the insurance plan by district employees who work no less than twenty (20) hours during each week, regular nonstudent school bus drivers, and retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System who are employed by the district as school 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 the 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 the employees from local funds, except that parent fees for child nutrition programs shall not be increased to cover that cost.
The State Department of Education, in accordance with rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education, may withhold a school district's adequate education program funds for failure of the district to timely report student, fiscal and personnel data necessary to meet state and/or federal requirements. The rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education shall require the withholding of adequate education program funds for those districts that fail to remit premiums, interest penalties and/or late charges under the State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance Plan. Noncompliance with those rules and regulations shall result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as established by the State Board of Education and Commission on School Accreditation.
SECTION 4. Section 25-11-127, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
25-11-127. (1) (a) No person who is being paid a retirement allowance or a pension after retirement under this article shall be employed or paid for any service by the State of Mississippi, except as provided in this section.
(b) No retiree of this retirement system who is reemployed or is reelected to office after retirement shall continue to draw retirement benefits while so reemployed, except as provided in this section.
(c) No person employed or elected under the exceptions provided for in this section shall become a member under Article 3 of the retirement system.
(2) Any person who has been retired under the provisions of Article 3 and who is later reemployed in service covered by this article shall cease to receive benefits under this article and shall again become a contributing member of the retirement system. When the person retires again, if the reemployment exceeds six (6) months, the person shall have his or her benefit recomputed, including service after again becoming a member, provided that the total retirement allowance paid to the retired member in his or her previous retirement shall be deducted from the member's retirement reserve and taken into consideration in recalculating the retirement allowance under a new option selected.
(3) The board shall have the right to prescribe rules and regulations for carrying out the provisions of this section.
(4) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit any retiree, regardless of age, from being employed and drawing a retirement allowance either:
(a) For a period of time not to exceedone-half (1/2) of the normal working days for the position in any fiscal year during which the retiree will receive no more than one-half (1/2) of the salary in effect for the position at the time of employment, or
(b) For a period of time in any fiscal year sufficient in length to permit a retiree to earn not in excess of twenty-five percent (25%) of retiree's average compensation.
To determine the normal working days for a position under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the employer shall determine the required number of working days for the position on a full-time basis and the equivalent number of hours representing the full-time position. The retiree then may work up to one-half (1/2) of the required number of working days or up to one-half (1/2) of the equivalent number of hours and receive up to one-half (1/2) of the salary for the position. In the case of employment with multiple employers, the limitation shall equal one-half (1/2) of the number of days or hours for a single full-time position.
Notice shall be given in writing to the executive director, setting forth the facts upon which the employment is being made, and the notice shall be given within five (5) days from the date of employment and also from the date of termination of the employment.
For the purposes of this subsection (4), the nontaxable amounts paid by the state for the cost of the health insurance premiums for retirees who are employed by public school districts as school bus drivers, as provided in Section 25-15-15, shall not be considered as part of the salary, earned compensation or average compensation of those retirees.
(5) Any member may continue in municipal or county elected office or be elected to a municipal or county office, provided that the person:
(a) Files annually, in writing, in the office of the employer and the office of the executive director of the system before the person takes office or as soon as possible after retirement, a waiver of all salary or compensation and elects to receive in lieu of that salary or compensation a retirement allowance as provided in this section, in which event no salary or compensation shall thereafter be due or payable for those services; however, any such officer or employee may receive, in addition to the retirement allowance, office expense allowance, mileage or travel expense authorized by any statute of the State of Mississippi; or
(b) Elects to receive compensation for that elective office in an amount not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the retiree's average compensation. As used in this paragraph, the term "compensation" shall not include office expense allowance, mileage or travel expense authorized by a statute of the State of Mississippi. In order to receive compensation as allowed in this paragraph, the member shall file annually, in writing, in the office of the employer and the office of the executive director of the system, an election to receive, in addition to a retirement allowance, compensation as allowed in this paragraph.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.