54-52.1-03. Employee participation in plan - Employee to furnish information - Benefits to continue upon retirement or termination

54-52.1-03. Employee participation in plan - Employee to furnish information -

Benefits to continue upon retirement or termination.

1. Any eligible employee may be enrolled in the uniform group insurance program

created by this chapter by requesting enrollment with the employing department. If an

eligible employee does not enroll in the uniform group insurance program at the time

of beginning employment, in order to enroll at a later time the eligible employee must

meet minimum requirements established by the board. An employing department may

not require an active eligible employee to request coverage under the uniform group

insurance program as a prerequisite to receive the minimum employer-paid life

insurance benefits coverage or employee assistance program benefits coverage.

2. A retiree who has accepted a periodic distribution from the defined contribution

retirement plan pursuant to section 54-52.6-13 who the board determines is eligible for

participation in the uniform group insurance program or has accepted a retirement

allowance from the public employees retirement system, the highway patrol troopers'

retirement system, the teachers' insurance and annuity association of America -

college retirement equities fund for service credit earned while employed by North

Dakota institutions of higher education, the retirement system established by job

service North Dakota under section 52-11-01, the judges' retirement system

established under chapter 27-17, or the teachers' fund for retirement may elect to

participate in the uniform group under this chapter without meeting minimum

requirements at age sixty-five, when the member's spouse reaches age sixty-five,

upon the receipt of a benefit, or when the spouse terminates employment. If a retiree

or surviving spouse does not elect to participate at the times specified in this

subsection, the retiree or surviving spouse must meet the minimum requirements

established by the board. Subject to sections 54-52.1-03.2 and 54-52.1-03.3, each

retiree or surviving spouse shall pay directly to the board the premiums in effect for the

coverage then being provided. A retiree or surviving spouse who has met the initial

eligibility requirements of this subsection to begin participation in the uniform group

insurance program remains eligible as long as the retiree maintains the retiree's

participation in the program by paying the required premium pursuant to rules adopted

by the board.

3. Upon the termination of employment when the employee is not eligible to participate

under subsection 2 or 4 or applicable federal law, that employee cannot continue as a

member of the uniform group.

4. A member or former member of the legislative assembly or that individual's surviving

spouse may elect to continue membership in the uniform group within the applicable

time limitations after either termination of eligible employment as a member of the

legislative assembly or termination of other eligible employment or, for a surviving

spouse, upon the death of the member or former member of the legislative assembly.

The member or former member of the legislative assembly or that individual's surviving

spouse shall pay the premiums in effect for the coverage provided directly to the

board.

5. Each eligible employee requesting enrollment shall furnish the appropriate individual in

the employing department, board, or agency with such information and in such form as

prescribed by the board to enable the enrollment of the employee, or employee and

dependents, in the uniform group insurance program created by this chapter.

6. If the participating employee is a faculty member in a state charitable, penal, or

educational institution who receives a salary or wages on less than a twelve-month

basis and has signed a contract to teach for the next ensuing school year, the agency

shall make arrangements to include that employee in the insurance program on a

n the uniform group insurance program created by this chapter.

6. If the participating employee is a faculty member in a state charitable, penal, or

educational institution who receives a salary or wages on less than a twelve-month

basis and has signed a contract to teach for the next ensuing school year, the agency

shall make arrangements to include that employee in the insurance program on a

twelve-month basis and make the contribution authorized by this section for each

month of the twelve-month period.