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Introduced Version House Bill 4354 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 4354


(By Delegates Rodighiero, Ellis and Hrutkay)
[Introduced January 31, 2008; referred to the
Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security then Finance.]




A BILL to amend and reenact §5-16-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing state health care services for all active and inactive duty military personnel.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §5-16-2 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.
§5-16-2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases as used in this article, unless a different meaning is clearly indicated by the context, have the following meanings:
(1) "Agency" means the Public Employees Insurance Agency created by this article.
(2) "Director" means the Director of the Public Employees Insurance Agency created by this article.
(3) "Employee" means any person, including an elected officer, who works regularly full time in the service of the State of West Virginia and, for the purpose of this article only, the term "employee" also means any person, including an elected officer, who works regularly full time in the service of a county board of education; a county, city or town in the state; a person serving in the Armed Forces of the United States in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, National Guard or Coast Guard as defined by the laws of the United States and who are citizens and residents of this state; any separate corporation or instrumentality established by one or more counties, cities or towns, as permitted by law; any corporation or instrumentality supported in most part by counties, cities or towns; any public corporation charged by law with the performance of a governmental function and whose jurisdiction is coextensive with one or more counties, cities or towns; any comprehensive community mental health center or comprehensive mental retardation facility established, operated or licensed by the secretary of health and human resources pursuant to section one, article two-a, chapter twenty-seven of this code and which is supported in part by state, county or municipal funds; any person who works regularly full time in the service of the Higher Education Policy Commission, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education or a governing board, as defined in section two, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this code; any person who works regularly full time in the service of a combined city-county health department created pursuant to article two, chapter sixteen of this code; any person designated as a 21st Century Learner Fellow pursuant to section eleven, article three, chapter eighteen-a of this code; and any person who works as a long term substitute as defined in section one, article one, chapter eighteen-a of this code, in the service of a county board of education: Provided, That a long term substitute who is continuously employed for at least one hundred thirty-three instructional days during an instructional term and until the end of that instructional term, is eligible for the benefits provided in this article until the first day of September following that instructional term: Provided, however, That a long term substitute employed fewer than one hundred thirty-three instructional days during an instructional term is eligible for the benefits provided in this article only during such time as he or she is actually employed as a long term substitute. On and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, and upon election by a county board of education to allow elected board members to participate in the public employees insurance program pursuant to this article, any person elected to a county board of education shall be considered to be an "employee" during the term of office of the elected member. Upon election by the State Board of Education to allow appointed board members to participate in the public employees insurance program pursuant to this article, any person appointed to the State Board of Education is considered an "employee" during the term of office of the appointed member: Provided further, That the elected member of a county board of education and the appointed member of the State Board of Education shall pay the entire cost of the premium if he or she elects to be covered under this article. Any matters of doubt as to who is an employee within the meaning of this article shall be decided by the director.
On or after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, a person shall be considered an "employee" if that person meets the following criteria:
(i) Participates in a job-sharing arrangement as defined in section one, article one, chapter eighteen-a of this code;
(ii) Has been designated, in writing, by all other participants in that job-sharing arrangement as the "employee" for purposes of this section; and
(iii) Works at least one third of the time required for a full-time employee.
(4) "Employer" means the State of West Virginia, its boards, agencies, commissions, departments, institutions or spending units; a county board of education; a county, city or town in the state; any separate corporation or instrumentality established by one or more counties, cities or towns, as permitted by law; any corporation or instrumentality supported in most part by counties, cities or towns; any public corporation charged by law with the performance of a governmental function and whose jurisdiction is coextensive with one or more counties, cities or towns; any comprehensive community mental health center or comprehensive mental retardation facility established, operated or licensed by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources pursuant to section one, article two-a, chapter twenty-seven of this code and which is supported in part by state, county or municipal funds; a combined city-county health department created pursuant to article two, chapter sixteen of this code; and a corporation meeting the description set forth in section three, article twelve, chapter eighteen-b of this code that is employing a 21st Century Learner Fellow pursuant to section eleven, article three, chapter eighteen of this code but the corporation is not considered an employer with respect to any employee other than a 21st Century Learner Fellow. Any matters of doubt as to who is an "employer" within the meaning of this article shall be decided by the director. The term "employer" does not include within its meaning the National Guard.
(5) "Finance board" means the Public Employees Insurance Agency finance board created by this article.
(6) "Person" means any individual, company, association, organization, corporation or other legal entity, including, but not limited to, hospital, medical or dental service corporations; health maintenance organizations or similar organization providing prepaid health benefits; or individuals entitled to benefits under the provisions of this article.
(7) "Plan", unless the context indicates otherwise, means the medical indemnity plan, the managed care plan option or the group life insurance plan offered by the agency.
(8) "Retired employee" means an employee of the state who retired after the twenty-ninth day of April, one thousand nine hundred seventy-one, and an employee of the Higher Education Policy Commission, the council for community and technical college education, a state institution of higher education or a county board of education who retires on or after the twenty-first day of April, one thousand nine hundred seventy-two, and all additional eligible employees who retire on or after the effective date of this article, meet the minimum eligibility requirements for their respective state retirement system and whose last employer immediately prior to retirement under the state retirement system is a participating employer: Provided, That for the purposes of this article, the employees who are not covered by a state retirement system but who are covered by a state approved or state contracted retirement program shall, in the case of education employees, meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the State Teachers' Retirement System and in all other cases, meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the Public Employees Retirement System.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide state health care services for all active and inactive duty military personnel.

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