1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to the military; modifying the eligibility
1.3 	for state-paid insurance and benefits by making
1.4 	members of the Minnesota National Guard or other
1.5 	military reserve units called to federal active
1.6 	service and deployed to foreign lands and their
1.7 	families eligible for participation in the health
1.8 	insurance portions of the state employee group
1.9 	insurance program; appropriating money; amending
1.10 	Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 43A.24, by adding a
1.11 	subdivision; 43A.26; 43A.30, subdivision 1.
1.12 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.13 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 43A.24, is
1.14 	amended by adding a subdivision to read:
1.15 		Subd. 4.Eligible soldiers. (a) A member of the
1.16 	Minnesota National Guard or other reserve component of the armed
1.17 	forces of the United States is eligible to participate in the
1.18 	hospital and medical benefits contained in the plan established
1.19 	under section 43A.18, subdivision 2, if the soldier:
1.20 	(1) engaged in a deployment under federal active service as
1.21 	defined in section 190.05, subdivision 5c, for at least 90
1.22 	consecutive days to a location outside of the United States;
1.23 	(2) is serving satisfactorily as defined by the adjutant
1.24 	general or was honorably discharged following completion of the
1.25 	deployment;
1.26 	(3) submits an application for benefits under the
1.27 	procedures established by the commissioner within eight months
1.28 	of completion of the deployment;
2.1 	(4) certifies that the soldier, or soldier's spouse if
2.2 	applicable, does not have insurance coverage available through
2.3 	the soldier or spouse's employer or will not have insurance
2.4 	coverage available when the coverage under section 43A.18,
2.5 	subdivision 2, is to begin; and 
2.6 	(5) was a resident of Minnesota when the deployment began.
2.7 	(b) The eligible soldier is eligible for one month of
2.8 	coverage for each month of the deployment described in paragraph
2.9 	(a), clause (1).  Coverages made available, including optional
2.10 	coverages, are those contained in the plan established under
2.11 	section 43A.18, subdivision 2.
2.12 	(c) If the eligible soldier is killed during the
2.13 	deployment, the member's surviving spouse or dependents are
2.14 	eligible for health and medical benefits to the same extent that
2.15 	the soldier would have been eligible.
2.16 	(d) The eligible soldier is eligible to receive coverage,
2.17 	whether single coverage for the soldier only or family coverage
2.18 	for the soldier, spouse, and dependents, at the premium rate for
2.19 	single coverage of a full-time employee.
2.20 	(e) For purposes of continuation insurance, when coverage
2.21 	ends under this subdivision, the termination is considered a
2.22 	qualifying event.

2.23 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 43A.26, is
2.24 	amended to read:
2.25 	43A.26 OPTIONAL COVERAGES.
2.26 	The commissioner may make available to eligible persons and
2.27 	their dependents certain optional coverages provided by carriers
2.28 	selected by the commissioner.  Eligible employees may elect to
2.29 	purchase optional coverages at their own expense. If family
2.30 	coverage is available to other eligible persons, eligible
2.31 	soldiers under section 43A.24, subdivision 4, may elect to
2.32 	receive family coverage at the expense of the state.

2.33 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 43A.30,
2.34 	subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.35 		Subdivision 1.Payments from agency revenues.  Each
2.36 	agency shall pay the amounts due for state paid life insurance
3.1 	and hospital, medical and dental benefits coverage authorized
3.2 	for eligible employees pursuant to this chapter.
3.3 	Each agency shall pay the amounts from accounts and funds
3.4 	from which the agency receives its revenues, including
3.5 	appropriations from the general fund and from any other fund,
3.6 	now or hereafter existing for the payment of salaries and in the
3.7 	same proportion as it pays therefrom the amounts of salaries.
3.8 	In order to enable the commissioner of finance to maintain
3.9 	proper records covering the appropriations pursuant to this
3.10 	section, the commissioner of finance may require certifications
3.11 	in connection with payments as the commissioner of finance deems
3.12 	necessary from the Minnesota Historical Society, the University
3.13 	of Minnesota, or any agency whose employees receive benefits
3.14 	pursuant to this chapter.  The accounts and funds from which
3.15 	agencies receive appropriations under the terms of this section
3.16 	are a source of revenue for the purposes of any other law or
3.17 	statutory enactment.
3.18 	The Department of Military Affairs is the agency
3.19 	responsible for paying the amounts due for benefits coverage
3.20 	provided to eligible soldiers under section 43A.24, subdivision
3.21 	4.  The amount necessary to pay the amount due for eligible
3.22 	soldiers is appropriated to the adjutant general from the
3.23 	general fund.