AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; CHANGING GROUP INSURANCE PROVISIONS FOR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS WITH TWENTY-FIVE EMPLOYEES OR FEWER.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 10-7-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1941, Chapter 188, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

"10-7-4. GROUP INSURANCE--CAFETERIA PLAN--CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.--

A. All state departments and institutions and all political subdivisions of the state, excluding municipalities, counties and political subdivisions of the state with twenty-five employees or fewer, shall cooperate in providing group term life, medical or disability income insurance for the benefit of eligible employees or salaried officers of the respective departments, institutions and subdivisions.

B. The group insurance contributions of the state or any of its departments or institutions, including institutions of higher education and the public schools, shall be made as follows:

(1) seventy-five percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000);

(2) seventy percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or more but less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000);

(3) sixty-five percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more but less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000); or

(4) sixty percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more.

As used in this subsection, "cost of the insurance" means the premium required to be paid to provide coverages. Any contributions of the political subdivisions of the state, except the public schools and political subdivisions of the state with twenty-five employees or fewer, shall not exceed sixty percent of the cost of the insurance.

C. When a public employee elects to participate in a cafeteria plan as authorized by the Cafeteria Plan Act and enters into a salary reduction agreement with the governmental employer, the provision of Subsection B of this section with respect to the maximum contributions that can be made by the employer are not violated and will still apply. The employer percentage or dollar contributions as provided in Subsection B of this section shall be determined by the employee's gross salary prior to any salary reduction agreement.

D. Any group medical insurance plan offered pursuant to this section shall include effective cost-containment measures to control the growth of health care costs. The responsible public body that administers a plan offered pursuant to this section shall report annually by September 1 to appropriate interim legislative committees on the effectiveness of the cost-containment measures required by this subsection."

Section 2. Section 10-7-4.2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1991, Chapter 191, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

"10-7-4.2. GROUP INSURANCE--COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES--CONTRIBUTIONS--DEFINITION--EXEMPTION FROM STATE PLAN.--

A. All municipalities, counties and political subdivisions with twenty-five employees or fewer shall cooperate in providing group term life, medical or disability income insurance for the benefit of eligible employees or salaried officers of the respective departments, institutions and subdivisions.

B. Municipalities, counties and political subdivisions with twenty-five employees or fewer may contribute any amount up to one hundred percent of the cost of the insurance. As used in this section, "cost of the insurance" means the premium required to be paid to provide coverages.

C. When a public employee elects to participate in a cafeteria plan as authorized by the Cafeteria Plan Act and enters into a salary reduction agreement with a municipal or county employer, the provisions of Subsection B of this section with respect to the maximum contributions that can be made by the employer are not violated and will still apply. The employer contributions as provided in Subsection B of this section shall be determined by the employee's gross salary prior to any salary reduction agreement.

E. Exempt from the provisions of Section

10-7-4 NMSA 1978 are all municipalities, counties and political subdivisions with twenty-five employees or fewer."

Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 1999.

HB 306

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