Senate Bill No. 205

(By Senator Snyder)

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[Introduced January 19, 2004; referred to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact § 5-16-23 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to public employees insurance generally; and providing that members of the Legislature may be covered if they pay the same share state employees pay.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That § 5-16-23 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
 §5-16-23. Members of Legislature may be covered.
Notwithstanding the definition of the term "employee" contained in section two of this article and notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, members of the Legislature may participate in and be covered by any insurance plan or plans authorized hereunder for state officers and employees by paying the same employee share of the cost for all group coverage for themselves and their spouses and dependents as state officers and employees pay. except that all members of the Legislature who elect to participate in or to be covered by any such plan or plans shall pay their proportionate individual share of the full cost for all group coverage on themselves and their spouses and dependents, so that there will be no cost to the state for the coverage of any such members, spouses and dependents


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that members of the Legislature may participate in the Public Employees Insurance Agency insurance program and pay the same employee share of the cost as other state officers and employees pay.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.