1566‑S2 AMH DYER PRID 32

2SHB 1566 ‑ H AMDS 625 WITHDRAWN 4/13/95

By Representative Dyer and others

     On page 7, on line 37, after "criteria." insert the following:

     "The board shall define the percent of one full-time equivalent worked by members of the state legislature and by each state-wide elected officer.  The board shall develop terms and conditions of participation and coverage for members of the state legislature and state-wide elected officers that are consistent with the terms and conditions for all other employees eligible for benefits through the health care authority."

     On page 14, after line 15, insert the following:

     "Sec. 13.  RCW 28A.400.350  and 1993 c 492 and s 226 are each amended as follows:

      (1) The board of directors of any of the state's school districts may make available liability, life, health, health care, accident, disability and salary protection or insurance or any one of, or a combination of the enumerated types of insurance, or any other type of insurance or protection, for the members of the boards of directors, the students, and employees of the school district, and their dependents.  Such coverage may be provided by contracts with private carriers, with the state health care authority after July 1, 1990, pursuant to the approval of the authority administrator, or through self-insurance or self-funding pursuant to chapter 48.62 RCW, or in any other manner authorized by law.  ((Except for health benefits purchased with nonstate funds as provided in RCW 28A.400.200, effective on and after October 1, 1995, health care coverage, life insurance, liability insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and disability income insurance shall be provided only by contracts with the state health care authority.))

     (2) Whenever funds are available for these purposes the board of directors of the school district may contribute all or a part of the cost of such protection or insurance for the employees of their respective school districts and their dependents.  The premiums on such liability insurance shall be borne by the school district.

     After October 1, 1990, school districts may not contribute to any employee protection or insurance other than liability insurance unless the district's employee benefit plan conforms to RCW 28A.400.275 and 28A.400.280.

     (3) For school board members and students, the premiums due on such protection or insurance shall be borne by the assenting school board member or student.  The school district may contribute all or part of the costs, including the premiums, of life, health, health care, accident or disability insurance which shall be offered to all students participating in interschool activities on the behalf of or as representative of their school or school district.  The school district board of directors may require any student participating in extracurricular interschool activities to, as a condition of participation, document evidence of insurance or purchase insurance that will provide adequate coverage, as determined by the school district board of directors, for medical expenses incurred as a result of injury sustained while participating in the extracurricular activity.  In establishing such a requirement, the district shall adopt regulations for waiving or reducing the premiums of such coverage as may be offered through the school district to students participating in extracurricular activities, for those students whose families, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty paying the entire amount of such insurance premiums.  The district board shall adopt regulations for waiving or reducing the insurance coverage requirements for low-income students in order to assure such students are not prohibited from participating in extracurricular interschool activities.

     (((4) All contracts for insurance or protection written to take advantage of the provisions of this section shall provide that the beneficiaries of such contracts may utilize on an equal participation basis the services of those practitioners licensed pursuant to chapters 18.22, 18.25, 18.53, 18.57, and 18.71 RCW.))"

     Renumber sections consecutively and correct title and internal references accordingly.

EFFECT:  Adds the requirement that state-wide elected officers and members of the state legislature receive their benefits under the same terms and conditions as state employees.  Eliminates requirement that school districts purchase benefits through the Health Care Authority.  Repeals the requirement that school district insurance contracts include provisions for service from podiatrists, chiropractors, optometrists, osteopaths, and physician assistants.