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SF0024 • 2020

State employees' and officials' group insurance.

AN ACT relating to insurance; requiring the state employees' and officials' group insurance program to be administered in accordance with insurance laws and regulations as specified; modifying a definition regarding coverage; authorizing rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

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Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Corporations
Last action
2020-03-10
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how rulemaking by the Insurance Commissioner will be conducted.

State Employees' and Officials' Group Insurance Act

This law requires the state employees' and officials' group insurance program to follow specific Wyoming insurance laws, allows for rulemaking by the Insurance Commissioner regarding examinations of the program, and expands who can be considered a dependent in the plan.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state's group insurance program to be managed according to Wyoming’s insurance laws governing group health benefit plans.
  • Authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to create rules about how to examine the group insurance program.
  • Expands the definition of 'dependent' for purposes of the insurance plan to include unmarried children up to age 26 and full-time students aged 18-23 if the employee is their main financial supporter.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State employees and officials
  • The Insurance Commissioner

Terms To Know

Dependent
An individual, like a spouse or child, who can be covered under the insurance plan.
Insurance laws
Rules and regulations that govern how insurance programs must operate in Wyoming.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify all details of how the Insurance Commissioner will create rules for examining the group insurance program.
  • It is unclear if there are any exceptions to the expanded definition of 'dependent'.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-10 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 46

  2. 2020-03-10 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0009

  3. 2020-03-06 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0009

  4. 2020-03-05 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0009

  5. 2020-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0009

  6. 2020-03-04 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 59-1-0-0-0

  7. 2020-03-03 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2020-03-02 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2020-02-26 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2020-02-26 House

    H07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-2-0-0

  11. 2020-02-24 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations

  12. 2020-02-24 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2020-02-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-0-0-0-1

  14. 2020-02-21 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2020-02-20 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  16. 2020-02-18 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  17. 2020-02-18 Senate

    S07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  18. 2020-02-11 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations 25-3-1-0-1

  19. 2020-02-10 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  20. 2019-12-17 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0030
Bill No.:

SF0024

Effective:

7/1/2020 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

20LSO-0030

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0009

Chapter No.:

46

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee

Catch Title:

State employees' and officials' group insurance.

Subject:

The state employees' and officials' group insurance program.

Summary/Major Elements:

The bill requires the state employees' and officials' group insurance program to be administered in accordance with the insurance laws governing group health benefit plans under title 26 of the Wyoming Statutes and any rules promulgated thereto.

The bill authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to adopt rules to identify procedures for conducting examinations of the state employees' and officials' group insurance program.

The bill modifies the definition of "dependent" for purposes of the state employees' and officials' group insurance program to include an employee's unmarried child under the age of twenty-six (26) years.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0030

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0024

ENROLLED ACT NO. 9,

SENATE

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to insurance; requiring the state employees' and officials' group insurance program to be administered in accordance with insurance laws and regulations as specified; modifying a definition regarding coverage; authorizing rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
203(a)(iii), 9
‑
3
‑
205(a)(intro), (iii), (vi) and (c) and 26
‑
2
‑
110 by creating a new subsection (e) are amended to read:

9
‑
3
‑
203.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(iii)

"Dependent" means an employee's spouse
,

and
each unmarried child under the age of
eighteen (18)
twenty
‑
six (26) years
, including adopted children, stepchildren and foster children
.
, and each unmarried child between the age of eighteen (18) and twenty
‑
three (23) years who is a full
‑
time student in an accredited educational or vocational institution, and for whom the employee is the major source of financial support.
"Dependent" includes an otherwise qualified dependent of a deceased employee as provided in W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
209(d);

9
‑
3
‑
205.

Administration and management of group insurance program; powers and duties; adoption of rules and regulations; interfund borrowing authority.

(a)

The department shall administer and manage the state employees' and officials' group insurance program
and,
in accordance with all provisions of title 26 of the Wyoming
statutes governing group health benefit plans and rules promulgated thereto. The department,
subject to the provisions of this act:

(iii)

Shall determine the methods of claims administration
, consistent with title 26 of the Wyoming statutes,
under group insurance or supplemental plans, whether by the state or carrier or both;

(vi)

Shall establish a procedure by which the department shall hear complaints by insured employees concerning the allowance and payment of claims, eligibility for coverage and other matters.
The department shall take into consideration the authority of the department of insurance to investigate complaints pursuant to title 26 of the Wyoming statutes when establishing this procedure.
Unless otherwise provided in the group insurance or supplemental plan or plans, any decision of the department upon complaints is not binding upon either the employee or carrier and the provisions of the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act shall not apply to the proceedings. The group insurance or supplemental plan or plans may provide that the decision of the department shall be binding upon both the employee and the carrier as to certain disputes and in such event the procedure adopted by the department shall conform to the provisions of the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act;

(c)

For the purposes of determining financial condition, ability to fulfill and the manner of fulfillment of its statutory duties, the nature of its operations and compliance with law, the insurance commissioner shall examine the affairs, accounts, records and assets of the Wyoming state employees' and officials' group insurance plan, as often as he deems advisable but not less frequently than every three (3) years.
The insurance commissioner may adopt rules
consistent with the provisions of this act and title 26 of the Wyoming statutes to identify procedures for conducting examinations of the Wyoming state employees' and officials' group insurance program.

26
‑
2
‑
110.

Rules and regulations.

(e)

The commissioner may promulgate rules to identify procedures for conducting examinations of the Wyoming state employees' and officials' group insurance program in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
205(c).

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1