Florida Senate - 2010                                    SB 1088
       
       
       
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       32-00394A-10                                          20101088__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the state group insurance program;
    3         amending s. 110.123, F.S.; providing that graduate
    4         assistants at state universities may be covered by the
    5         program if the university they are attending elects to
    6         pay the cost of participation; providing an effective
    7         date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Present paragraphs (d) through (n) of subsection
   12  (2) of section 110.123, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
   13  paragraphs (e) through (o), respectively, a new paragraph (d) is
   14  added to that subsection, and present paragraphs (d) through (f)
   15  of that subsection and paragraph (g) of subsection (3) of that
   16  section are amended, to read:
   17         110.123 State group insurance program.—
   18         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   19         (d) “Graduate assistant” means a graduate-level student at
   20  a state university who provides teaching or research
   21  responsibilities on a part-time basis for compensation. For the
   22  purposes of this section, a graduate assistant is a state
   23  employee.
   24         (e)(d) “Health maintenance organization” or “HMO” means an
   25  entity certified under part I of chapter 641.
   26         (f)(e) “Health plan member” means any person participating
   27  in a state group health insurance plan, a TRICARE supplemental
   28  insurance plan, or a health maintenance organization plan under
   29  the state group insurance program, including enrollees and
   30  covered dependents thereof.
   31         (g)(f) “Part-time state employee” means any employee of any
   32  branch or agency of state government paid by state warrant from
   33  salary appropriations or from agency funds, and who is employed
   34  for less than the normal full-time workweek established by the
   35  department or, if on academic contract or seasonal or other type
   36  of employment which is less than year-round, is employed for
   37  less than 8 months during any 12-month period. Except for
   38  graduate assistants as provided in paragraph (3)(g), the term
   39  does not, but in no case shall “part-time” employee include a
   40  person paid from other personal services as defined in s.
   41  216.011 other-personal-services (OPS) funds. “Part-time state
   42  employee” includes any part-time employee of the state
   43  universities.
   44         (3) STATE GROUP INSURANCE PROGRAM.—
   45         (g) Participation by individuals in the program is
   46  available to all state officers, full-time state employees, and
   47  part-time state employees; and such participation in the program
   48  or any plan is voluntary. Participation in the program is also
   49  available to:
   50         1. Retired state officers and employees, as defined in
   51  paragraph (2)(g), who elect at the time of retirement to
   52  continue all or part of the coverage they had under the program,
   53  but they may elect to continue all or only part of the coverage
   54  they had at the time of retirement.
   55         2. A surviving spouse who elects may elect to continue
   56  coverage only under a state group health insurance plan, a
   57  TRICARE supplemental insurance plan, or a health maintenance
   58  organization plan.
   59         3. Graduate assistants paid from other personal services if
   60  the university they are attending elects to pay the state
   61  contribution for the cost of participation in the state plan.
   62         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.