(A) In addition to the employees and retirees and their eligible dependents covered under the state health and dental insurance plans pursuant to Section 1-11-710, employees and retirees and their eligible dependents of the following entities are eligible for coverage under the state health and dental insurance plans pursuant to the requirements of subsection (B):

(1) counties;

(2) regional tourism promotion commissions funded by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism;

(3) county intellectual disability boards funded by the State Mental Retardation Department;

(4) regional councils of government established pursuant to Article 1, Chapter 7 of Title 6;

(5) regional transportation authorities established pursuant to Chapter 25 of Title 58;

(6) alcohol and drug abuse planning agencies designated pursuant to Section 61-12-20;

(7) special purpose districts created by act of the General Assembly that provide gas, water, fire, sewer, recreation, hospital, or sanitation service, or any combination of these services;

(8) municipalities;

(9) local councils on aging or other governmental agencies providing aging services funded by the Department on Aging;

(10) community action agencies that receive funding from the Community Services Block Grant Program administered by the Governor's Office, Division of Economic Opportunity;

(11) a residential group care facility providing on-site teaching for residents if the facility's staff are currently members of the South Carolina Retirement System established pursuant to Chapter 1, Title 9 and if it provides at no cost educational facilities on its grounds to the school district in which it is located.

(12) the South Carolina State Employees' Association;

(13) the Palmetto State Teachers' Association;

(14) the South Carolina Education Association;

(15) the South Carolina Association of School Administrators;

(16) the South Carolina School Boards Association;

(17) the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation.

(18) legislative caucus committees as defined in Section 8-13-1300(21).

(19) soil and water conservation districts established pursuant to Title 48, Chapter 9.

(20) housing authorities as provided for in Chapter 3, Title 31;

(21) the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District;

(22) cooperative educational service center employees.

(23) the South Carolina Sheriff's Association.

(24) the Pee Dee Regional Airport District.

(25) the Children's Trust Fund as established pursuant to Section 63-11-910.

(26) a residential group facility which provides on-site teaching for residents if the facility's employees are currently members of the South Carolina Retirement System or if it provides, at no cost, educational facilities on its grounds to the school district in which it is located.

(27) a federally qualified health center.

(28) County First Steps Partnership established pursuant to Section 59-152-60.

(29) Palmetto Pride as established pursuant to paragraph 26.7, Part 1B, Act 115 of 2005.

(30) joint agencies established pursuant to Chapter 23, Title 6.

(31) a political subdivision of the State of South Carolina, or a governmental agency or instrumentality of such a political subdivision.

(B) To be eligible to participate in the state health and dental insurance plans, the entities listed in subsection (A) shall comply with the requirements established by the board, and the benefits provided must be the same benefits provided to state and school district employees. These entities must agree to participate for a minimum of four years and the board may adjust the premiums during the coverage period based on experience. An entity which withdraws from participation may not subsequently rejoin during the first four years after the withdrawal date.

(C) If an entity participating in the plans pursuant to subsection (A) is delinquent in remitting proper payments to cover its obligations, the board's Office of Insurance Services shall certify the delinquency to the department or agency of the State holding funds payable to the delinquent entity, and that department or agency shall withhold from those funds an amount sufficient to satisfy the unpaid obligation and shall remit that amount to the Office of Insurance Services in satisfaction of the delinquency.

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 364, Section 1; 1994 Act No. 310, Section 1; 1994 Act No. 342, Section 2; 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Sections 42A, 42B; 1996 Act No. 458, Part II, Section 81; 1997 Act No. 62, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 317, Section 1; 1999 Act No. 100, Part II, Sections 40, 89; 2000 Act No. 377, Sections 1 to 5; 2006 Act No. 316, Section 1, eff May 31, 2006; 2008 Act No. 353, Section 2, Pt 25D.3, eff July 1, 2008; 2011 Act No. 31, Sections 2, 3, eff May 26, 2011; 2012 Act No. 278, Pt IV, Subpt 2, Section 33, eff July 1, 2012; 2017 Act No. 43 (S.61), Section 1, eff May 19, 2017; 2018 Act No. 261 (S.107), Pt I, Section 1, eff January 1, 2019.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the reference to Section 20-7-5010 in paragraph (A)(25) was changed to Section 63-11-910 in accordance with 2008 Act No. 361 (Children's Code).

Pursuant to 2011 Act No. 47, Section 14(B), the Code Commissioner substituted "intellectual disability" for "mentally retarded" and "person with intellectual disability" or "persons with intellectual disability" for "mentally retarded".

Effect of Amendment

The 2006 amendment, in subsection (A), added items (25) to (29).

The 2008 amendment, in paragraph (A)(9), substituted "Office of the Lieutenant Governor" for "Department of Health and Human Services".

The 2011 amendment, in subsection (A), in paragraph (7), inserted ", or sanitation", and added paragraph (30).

The 2012 amendment substituted "board" for "Statute Budget and Control Board" in subsection (B).

2017 Act No. 43, Section 1, in (A), added (31), relating to political subdivisions.

2018 Act No. 261, Section 1, in (A)(9), substituted "Department on Aging" for "Office on Aging, Office of the Lieutenant Governor".