A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THAT RETIREd employees HAVE AT LEAST TEN YEARS OF RETIREMENT BENEFIT SERVICE CREDIT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS UNDER THE Teachers' and State Employees' Comprehensive Major Medical Plan.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 135‑40.2(a)(2) reads as rewritten:
"§ 135‑40.2.  Eligibility.
"(a)	The following persons are eligible for coverage under the Plan, on a noncontributory basis, subject to the provisions of G.S. 135‑40.3:
…
(2)	Retired teachers, State employees, members of the General Assembly, and retired State law enforcement officers who retired under the Law Enforcement Officers' Retirement System prior to January 1, 1985. For employees first hired on and after October 1, 2005, and members of the General Assembly first taking office on and after October 1, 2005, future coverage as retired employees and retired members of the General Assembly is subject to a requirement that the future retiree have 10 or more years of retirement service credit in order to be covered by the provisions of this subdivision."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 135‑40.2(b) is amended by adding the following new subdivision to read:
"(11a)	Retired teachers, State employees, and members of the General Assembly with five but less than 10 years of retirement service credit, provided they were first hired or took office on or after October 1, 2005."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.