HB 1019 — Health insurance; locality to allow local employees to participate in its group insurance programs.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2024 SESSION CHAPTER E541 An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-1517 of the Code of Virginia, relating to health insurance for local employees.

R O [H 1019] Approved LApril L5, 2024 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

E § 15.2-1517.

Insurance for employees and retired employees of localities and other local Dgovernmental govA.entities;

participation by certain volunteers.

A.

employees of boards, commissions, agencies, or authorities that are political subdivisions of the Commonwealthfoundation andas workdefined in closesubsection cooperationA withof § 22.1-212.2:2 that provides support exclusively for such locality;locality.

orIn employeesaddition, ofany alocality publicthat schoolprovides foundationsuch asa definedhealth ininsurance subsectionprogram Amay allow eligible members of §approved 22.1-212.2:2volunteer thatfire providesor supportrescue exclusivelycompanies, foras determined by the locality, to participate in such locality.a health insurance program.

InSuch addition,programs anymay localitybe thatthrough provides such a health insurance program may allow eligible members of approvedself-insurance, volunteerpurchased fireinsurance, or rescuepartial companies,self-insurance asand determinedpurchased byinsurance, thewhichever locality,is determined to partiHipatebe inthe suchmost acost healtheffective. insurance program.

SuchThe programstotal cost of such policies or protection may be throughpaid aentirely programby ofthe self-insurance,locality purc1asedor effective.shared with the employee.

The total cost of such policies or protection may be paid entirely by the locality or sharedst with the employee.

The cost of a volunteer's participation in such a health insurance program shall be paid for in full by the participating volunteer.

Any locality may fund the cost of a volunteer's participation in a mental health treatment andngand counseling program that is offered to individual members of approved volunteer fire or rescue companies and is comparable to an employee assistance program offered to paid employees of the locality.

For purposes of this subsection, reimbursement may incB.include foregoing all or a part of a local government salary.

B.

Except as otherwise provided herein, in the event the governing body of any locality elects to provide group accident and health insurance for its officers and employees, including constitutional officers and their employees, such programs shall require that upon retirement, or upon the effective date of this provision for those who have previously retired, any such individual with (i) at least 15 years of continuous employment with the locality or (ii) less than 15 years of continuous employment who hasearshas of retired due to line-of-duty injuries may choose to continue his coverage with the insurer at the retiree's expense until such individual attains 65 years of age at the insurer's customary premium rate applicable (a) to such policies, (b) to the class of risk to which the person then belongs, and (c) to his age.

Any locality that has not offered the opportunity to continue group health coverage provided by the locality as required by subdivision 1 to its retirees who had retired on or before June 30, 1993, and retireewho frommeet the service of a locality who had retired on or before June 30, 1993, and who meets theAny criteria tofor continuesuch his group health coverage fromas theset localityforth underin subdivision 11, who has not yet of 2 elected to continue his group health coverage from the locality shall elect whether to do so by July 1, 2000.

4.Any retiree from the service of a locality who had retired on or before June 30, 1993, and who meets the criteria to continue his group health coverage from the locality under subdivision 1 who has not yet elected to continue his group health coverage from the locality shall elect whether to do so by July 1, 2000.

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