1. A. Group insurance contributions for school districts and charter schools shall be at least eighty percent of the cost of the insurance. Group insurance contributions for all other participating entities in the authority shall be:

   1. (1) at least eighty percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000);
   2. (2) at least seventy percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or more but less than sixty thousand dollars ($60,000); and
   3. (3) at least sixty percent of the cost of the insurance of an employee whose annual salary is sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) or more.
2. B. Within available revenue, school districts, charter schools and participating entities in the authority may contribute up to one hundred percent of the cost of the insurance of all employees.
3. C. Whenever a school district, charter school or participating entity in the authority offers to its employees alternative health plan benefit options, including health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations or panel doctor plans, the school district, charter school or participating entity may pay an amount on behalf of the employee and family member for the indemnity health insurance plan sufficient to result in equal employee monthly costs to the cost of the health maintenance organization plans, preferred provider organization plans or panel doctor plans, regardless of the percentage limitations in the Public School Insurance Authority Act. School districts, charter schools and participating entities in the authority may pay up to one hundred percent of the first fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) of term life insurance.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-2-6.10, enacted by Laws 1989, ch. 373, § 5; 1999, ch. 281, § 20; 1978 Comp., 22-2-6.10, recompiled as § 22-29-10, by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 72; 2004, ch. 82, § 2; 2023, ch. 83, § 2; 2026, ch. 52, § 5.

ANNOTATIONS

The 2026 amendment, effective July 1, 2026, revised group insurance contribution rates for school districts and charter schools; in Subsection A, after "shall be" deleted "made as follows" and added "at least eighty percent of the cost of the insurance. Group insurance contributions for all other participating entities in the authority shall be".

Temporary provisions. — Laws 2026, ch. 52, § 6 provided:

A. The legislative education study committee, in collaboration with the legislative finance committee, the public school insurance authority, the Albuquerque public school district, the public education department and the health care authority, shall conduct a comprehensive study and produce a final report regarding the sustainability of insurance programs for public school employees.

B. The study required pursuant to this section shall evaluate the anticipated future needs of public school employee insurance programs, including assessing:

(1) the impacts of combining public school employee insurance programs with other existing public group health insurance programs;

(2) the necessary agency actions required to integrate the group health insurance and alternative plans of the public school insurance authority, the health care authority and the Albuquerque public school district by June 30, 2029; and

(3) the necessary legislative action required during the 2027 legislative session to integrate the group health insurance and alternative plans of the public school insurance authority, the health care authority and the Albuquerque public school district by June 30, 2029.

C. The final report required pursuant to this section shall be completed no later than October 1, 2026 and shall be provided to the governor, the legislative finance committee and the public education department.

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, amended the group insurance contributions for school districts, charter schools and participating entities in the public school insurance authority; in Subsection A, Paragraph A(1), after "at least", deleted "seventy-five" and added "eighty", and after "less than", deleted "fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000)" and added "fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)", in Paragraph A(2), after "annual salary is", deleted "fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000)" and added "fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)", and after "less than", deleted "twenty thousand dollars ($20,000)" and added "sixty thousand dollars ($60,000); and", deleted former Paragraph A(3) and redesignated former Paragraph A(4) as Paragraph A(3), and in Paragraph A(3), after "annual salary is", deleted "twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)" and added "sixty thousand dollars ($60,000)"; and in Subsection B, after "contribute up to", deleted "eighty" and added "one hundred".

The 2004 amendments, effective May 19, 2004, in Subsection A, inserted "at least" at the beginning of Paragraphs (1) through (4); added a new Subsection B; and redesignated former Subsection B as Subsection C.

The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, inserted references to charter schools throughout the section, and deleted "public school insurance" or "public schools insurance" preceding "authority" in the introductory language of Subsection A and the first and second sentences of Subsection B.