HBA-MPM, H.B. 50 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 50 By: Chavez Teacher Health Insurance, Select 2/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is a lack of adequate health insurance coverage for Texas public school employees. This, combined with teacher salaries lower than the national average, contributes to the shortage of qualified teachers in Texas. House Bill 50 entitles school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to receive an annual allotment for each student in average daily attendance to be used toward the contribution the districts or schools make for employee health insurance coverage or other health care benefits. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 50 amends the Education Code to entitle a school district to an annual allotment for employee health care benefits of $_____, or a greater appropriated amount, for each student in average daily attendance. A school district is authorized to use these funds only to increase its contribution toward employee health insurance coverage or other health care benefits or to pay costs supplementary to the district's regular employee health insurance program. The bill authorizes a home-rule school district or open-enrollment charter school to use these funds only to provide health insurance coverage or other health care benefits for employees. The bill incorporates this additional allotment for health care benefits in the formula for weighted average daily attendance set forth in the Education Code. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.