HB 1021

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to public officers and employees group
3insurance; amending s. 112.08, F.S.; requiring school
4districts to procure certain insurance through a
5purchasing interlocal agreement; providing an exception;
6requiring school districts to enter into an interlocal
7agreement to establish the School Districts Insurance
8Consortium for certain purposes; authorizing individual
9school districts to opt out of the consortium; authorizing
10the consortium to advertise for competitive bids for
11certain types of insurance; requiring the consortium to
12advertise for proposals for a statewide insurance plan and
13regional plans; providing criteria and requirements for
14such plans; providing requirements for awarding contracts;
15requiring school districts to engage in collective
16bargaining; providing an effective date.
17
18Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20     Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
21112.08, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (d) is added
22to that subsection, to read:
23     112.08  Group insurance for public officers, employees, and
24certain volunteers; physical examinations.-
25     (2)(a)  Notwithstanding any general law or special act to
26the contrary, every local governmental unit is authorized to
27provide and pay out of its available funds for all or part of
28the premium for life, health, accident, hospitalization, legal
29expense, or annuity insurance, or all or any kinds of such
30insurance, for the officers and employees of the local
31governmental unit and for health, accident, hospitalization, and
32legal expense insurance for the dependents of such officers and
33employees upon a group insurance plan and, to that end, to enter
34into contracts with insurance companies or professional
35administrators to provide such insurance. Before entering any
36contract for insurance, the local governmental unit shall
37advertise for competitive bids; and such contract shall be let
38upon the basis of such bids. School districts shall procure such
39insurance through a purchasing interlocal agreement as provided
40in paragraph (d) unless the school board of a school district,
41at a duly noticed public meeting, determines that the purchase
42of such insurance outside of the plan procured through the
43interlocal agreement is financially advantageous to the school
44district and opts out of such interlocal agreement. If a
45contracting health insurance provider becomes financially
46impaired as determined by the Office of Insurance Regulation of
47the Financial Services Commission or otherwise fails or refuses
48to provide the contracted-for coverage or coverages, the local
49government may purchase insurance, enter into risk management
50programs, or contract with third-party administrators and may
51make such acquisitions by advertising for competitive bids or by
52direct negotiations and contract. The local governmental unit
53may undertake simultaneous negotiations with those companies
54which have submitted reasonable and timely bids and are found by
55the local governmental unit to be fully qualified and capable of
56meeting all servicing requirements. Each local governmental unit
57may self-insure any plan for health, accident, and
58hospitalization coverage or enter into a risk management
59consortium to provide such coverage, subject to approval based
60on actuarial soundness by the Office of Insurance Regulation;
61and each shall contract with an insurance company or
62professional administrator qualified and approved by the office
63to administer such a plan.
64     (d)  Each school district shall enter into an interlocal
65agreement, as provided in s. 163.01, with all other school
66districts to establish the School Districts Insurance Consortium
67through which health, accident, and hospitalization insurance is
68to be procured for officers and employees, and the dependents of
69such officers and employees, of the school districts unless a
70school district opts out as provided in paragraph (a).
71Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the consortium may
72advertise for competitive bids for such insurance and the
73contract or contracts for such insurance shall be let upon the
74basis of such bids. The consortium shall advertise for proposals
75for a statewide insurance plan as well as for plans providing
76coverage on a regional basis. The regions for which coverage
77shall be bid shall be defined by rule adopted by the consortium.
78In determining appropriate regions, the consortium shall group
79school districts geographically in a manner that will include
80school districts of varying sizes to ensure the availability of
81coverage for all districts in the region. Contracts may be
82awarded statewide or on a regional basis and more than one
83provider may be selected to provide insurance. School districts
84shall engage in collective bargaining with the certified
85bargaining agent for any unit of employees for which health,
86accident, and hospitalization insurance is provided, as required
87by part II of chapter 447 with regard to coverages to be
88offered, cost for dependent coverage, deductibles, optional
89coverages, and other matters required to be bargained under law.
90     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.