1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) | | | 3|SENATE BILL 87 By: Garvin | | | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| AS INTRODUCED | | | 7| An Act relating to state employee health insurance | | benefits; amending 74 O.S. 2021, Section 1308.3, | 8| which relates to opt out option; increasing allowance | | received by certain employees in lieu of flexible | 9| benefit allowance; providing an effective date; and | | declaring an emergency. | 10| | | | 11| | | | 12|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 13| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 1308.3, is | | | 14|amended to read as follows: | | | 15| Section 1308.3. Any active employee eligible to participate or | | | 16|who is a participant may opt out of the state's basic plan as | | | 17|outlined in Sections 1370 and 1371 of this title, or may opt out of | | | 18|the health and dental basic plan options only and retain the life | | | 19|and disability plan benefits, provided that the participant is | | | 20|currently covered by a separate group health insurance plan or will | | | 21|be covered by a separate group health insurance plan at or before | | | 22|the beginning of the next plan year. Any active employee eligible | | | 23|to participate or who is a participant opting out of coverage | | | 24|pursuant to this section shall provide proof of the separate health | | | Req. No. 589 Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|insurance plan participation and sign an affidavit attesting that | | | 2|the participant is currently covered and does not require | | | 3|state-provided health insurance each plan year. Any active employee | | | 4|opting out of the state's basic plan or the health and dental basic | | | 5|plan options pursuant to this section shall receive One Hundred | | | 6|Fifty Dollars ($150.00) in lieu of the flexible benefit amount the | | | 7|employee would be otherwise eligible to receive. Any savings | | | 8|realized by the state as a result of a participant opting out of | | | 9|health insurance plan coverage shall be retained by the state. For | | | 10|the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year | | | 11|thereafter, any active employee opting out of the state's basic plan | | | 12|or the health and dental basic plan options pursuant to this section | | | 13|shall receive one-half (1/2) of the flexible benefit allowance | | | 14|amount for the given plan year per month as taxable compensation in | | | 15|lieu of the full flexible benefit allowance amount. | | | 16| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. | | | 17| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 18|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | 19|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 20|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 21| | | | 22| 59-1-589 RD 12/29/2022 3:12:44 PM | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 589 Page 2