§36-29-7. Payment of employer's contribution; coverage for dependents; changes to contributions; withholding of employee's contribution; State Employees' Insurance Fund.

(a) The board is hereby authorized to provide under the provisions of this chapter that the employer's contribution to the cost of such plan for coverage of the employee and retiree shall be paid by the employer.

(b) Each employee and retiree shall be entitled to have his or her spouse and dependent children, as defined by the rules and regulations of the board, included in the coverage provided upon agreeing to pay the employee's contribution of the health insurance premium for such dependents. The board shall adopt regulations governing the discontinuance and resumption by such employees and retirees of coverage for dependents.

(c) Subject to Section 36-29-19.3, any further changes in employee or retiree contribution to the health insurance premium or other out-of-pocket expenses including, but not limited to, any surcharge, copay, or deductible may only be enacted when: (1) the executive director certifies that after proper evaluation the increase is justified and (2) the change is approved by at least a simple majority vote of the board members present.

(d) As used in this section, the employer shall mean the fund from which the salaries of such employees are paid. There is hereby appropriated annually from each fund amounts sufficient to provide the employer's contribution of the health insurance premium. In the case of those departments supported wholly by transfers from other state funds, there is hereby appropriated from the supporting funds such additional amounts as may be necessary to pay the sums required to pay the employer's contribution costs of employees and retirees of each department so supported in the same proportion as the other state funds contribute to the support and maintenance of such department.

(e) During any period in which an employee or an employee's dependents are covered under this chapter, there shall be withheld from the salary payment of such employee the employee's contribution to the cost of coverage.

(f) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the State Employees' Insurance Fund. Such fund shall consist of and there shall be deposited into such fund all appropriations made from employer funds, under the provisions of subsection (d) of this section and all premiums paid by employees and retirees under the provisions of subsection (e) of this section and any other premiums paid under the provisions of this chapter. The board shall designate a custodian of this fund who shall be authorized to make deposits into and payments therefrom in accordance with contracts entered into by the board.

(Acts 1965, No. 833, p. 1564, §9; Acts 1969, No. 164, p. 449, §1; Acts 1973, No. 818, p. 1283, §1; Act 2004-647, 1st Sp. Sess., p. 17, §1; Act 2011-698, p. 2141, §1.)