HB969: HB969 Georgia State Employees Post-employment Health Benefit Fund; certain fund beneficiaries to not be disqualified from postretirement health benefits; provide

Under current Georgia law, elected members of local school boards can be required to participate in health insurance offered through the local board, which can create conflicts for retirees already covered by the state's post-employment health plan through the Georgia State Employees Post-employment Health Benefit Fund. This bill changes that by letting a retiree who serves as an elected school board member sign a consent form declining the local board's insurance and instead stay enrolled in their state retiree health plan without losing eligibility. The bill amends Georgia's law on local school board member insurance (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-55) to let board members decline coverage through a consent form, and adds a new section to the law governing the state retiree health fund (O.C.G.A. § 45-18-29) protecting retirees from losing fund beneficiary status because of school board service. The Board of Community Health must publish the consent form and related rules by July 1, 2026. The law would take effect when the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

• Lets local school board members who are already retirees decline the board's health insurance by signing a consent form, rather than being required to join it.
• Protects retirees serving on local school boards from being disqualified as beneficiaries of the Georgia State Employees Post-employment Health Benefit Fund.
• Requires local boards of education to designate members who decline coverage as 'benefits ineligible' for federal regulatory purposes.
• Directs the Board of Community Health to create and publish a consent form and any needed rules by July 1, 2026.
• Defines terms such as 'retiree,' 'post-employment health plan,' and 'state retirement system' for purposes of the new fund protections.

Retired state employees, teachers, and public school employees who serve or wish to serve as elected local school board members; local boards of education, which must offer the new consent option; and the Board of Community Health, which must create the consent form and related rules.

Without this change, a retiree who takes a seat on a local school board could be pushed into dual insurance coverage or risk losing their state retiree health benefits. The bill lets such retirees keep their existing state health coverage and retirement allowance while serving on a school board.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-55 so a school board member who is already a state retiree can decline the board's health plan by completing a consent form, and the board must then mark them as benefits ineligible for that plan under federal rules.
• Section 2 adds new O.C.G.A. § 45-18-29, defining 'post-employment health plan,' 'retiree,' and 'state retirement system' for the purposes of protecting fund beneficiary status.
• Section 2 also states a retiree cannot be disqualified from the post-employment health plan solely for serving as an elected school board member, and may decline the board's coverage while keeping their retirement allowance and benefit adjustments.
• Section 2 requires the Board of Community Health to publish a consent form and issue necessary rules and regulations no later than July 1, 2026.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without signature.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-18House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
3. 2026-02-12House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2026-01-16House Second Readers (House)
5. 2026-01-15House First Readers (House)
6. 2026-01-14House Hopper (House)

• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)Primary sponsor
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Esther Panitch (D, HD-051)
• Tangie Herring (D, HD-145)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)

• retiree health benefits
• school board members
• state employee benefits
• health insurance
• local school boards