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<section article="gsp" article_name="State Personnel and Pensions" number="2-503" title_number="2" title_name="State Employment Generally" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Health and Welfare Benefits Program">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Secretary shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>adopt regulations for the administration of the Program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>ensure that the Program complies with:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>all federal and State laws governing employee benefit plans; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>§§ 15–826, 15–826.1, 15–826.2, and, as applicable to contraceptive drugs and devices, 15–831(a) through (d) of the Insurance Article;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>each year, recommend to the Governor the State share of the costs of the Program; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>make ongoing eligibility determinations to ensure that participation in the Program does not impede, undermine, or conflict with federal compliance obligations or government and cafeteria plan status.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Secretary may arrange as the Secretary considers appropriate any benefit option for inclusion in the Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Secretary shall include in the Program an option to purchase up to $200,000 of additional life insurance coverage for employees who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>fly in a helicopter in the course of their employment with the State;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>scuba dive in the course of their employment with the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>as a result of their employment with the State, face a significant likelihood of receiving a less favorable life insurance rating than an individual employed in a nonhazardous position.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Secretary shall include a wellness program in the Program.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The wellness program shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>be developed in consultation with the Secretary of Health;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>promote the goals of the Maryland Department of Health State Health Improvement Process; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>aim to achieve savings in the Program over time that exceed the costs of the wellness program.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Secretary shall specify by regulation the types or categories of State employees who:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>are eligible to enroll and participate in the Program with State subsidies;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>are eligible to enroll and participate in the Program without State subsidies; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>are not eligible to enroll or participate in the Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The regulations adopted by the Secretary shall include provisions for the enrollment and participation of employees of all:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>organizations and entities that were participating in the Program as satellite organizations on January 1, 1993; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>employee organizations that qualify for payroll deductions under the provisions of § 2–403 of this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Employees of organizations and entities covered by this section may participate:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>without State subsidies; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>with payment by the organization or entity of administrative costs resulting from the participation of its employees in the Program.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The regulations adopted by the Secretary under this subsection shall provide that an employee organization specified in paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>may not enroll or participate in the Program unless the organization has notified the Secretary, in writing, on or before July 1, 1994 of the organization’s intent to enroll and participate in the Program during calendar year 1994; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may not enroll or participate in the Program on or after January 1, 1995 unless the organization has participated in the Program during calendar year 1994.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
