SB 245: PEHP Amendments - Utah

Amended 3/5/2025 14:03:831 → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands parental notification requirements for private employers and clarifies enrollment deadlines for public employees. It adds a new section requiring employers with 100+ employees to notify employees of insurance enrollment deadlines when they take maternity/paternity leave or FMLA leave for birth or adoption. The bill also amends existing public employee provisions to maintain the 60-day enrollment window for newly born or adopted children.

Scope change

The bill expands scope from only public employees to include private employers with 100+ employees who offer health insurance, while maintaining and clarifying provisions for public employees.

REQUIREMENT

New requirement for private employers with 100+ employees to notify employees of insurance enrollment deadlines when taking leave for birth or adoption

New sample notice language provided for employers to use when notifying employees about enrollment deadlines

DEFINITION

New definition of 'employer' as any person providing health insurance for at least 100 employees

ELIGIBILITY

Public employee enrollment provisions expanded to include public school districts, charter schools, and institutions of higher education

SCOPE

Bill title and general description changed from focusing only on public employees to include employment and health insurance provisions for private employers

Amended Excerpts 3/5/2025 14:03:831 → Amended 3/5/2025 14:03:831 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends Utah's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program to require adding newly born or adopted children to a health plan within 60 days of the event. It also repeals an older statute related to the same program. The changes clarify the timeline for enrollment and update the language to specify that the requirement applies to individuals covered under the state employee health plan.

Scope change

The bill expands clarity on eligibility by explicitly requiring the program to allow addition of newly born or adopted children within 60 days, and it repeals a prior statute (34-49-101) that is no longer needed.

REQUIREMENT

Updated Section 49-20-407.1 to require the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program to allow adding a newly born or adopted child to a health plan within 60 days of the birth or adoption.

TECHNICAL

Repealed Section 34-49-101, which was an older statute related to the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that the 60-day enrollment requirement applies to individuals covered under the state employee health plan.

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 3/5/2025 14:03:831 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to clarify that the 60-day window for adding a newly born or adopted child to a state health plan applies specifically to individuals covered under the state risk pool within the state employee health plan, rather than all individuals covered under the plan.

Scope change

The applicability of the 60-day enrollment window was narrowed to explicitly include only individuals covered under the state risk pool.

ELIGIBILITY

Added language specifying that the requirement applies to individuals covered 'within the state risk pool' under the state employee health plan, clarifying the specific group eligible for the 60-day enrollment window.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill simplifies SB 245 by removing employer notification requirements and focusing solely on the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program. The original version required private employers with 100+ employees to notify employees about insurance enrollment deadlines for new children, while the substitute version only addresses state employee health plan enrollment timing.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from covering both private employers and state employees to only covering the state risk pool and public employees' benefit program.

REQUIREMENT

Removed requirement for private employers with 100+ employees to notify employees about insurance enrollment deadlines for newly born or adopted children.

DEFINITION

Removed definition of 'employer' and related language about employer responsibilities for health insurance notifications.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed eligibility from any employer offering health insurance to only the state risk pool and public employees' benefit and insurance program.

ENACTMENT

Changed the new Utah Code section from 34-49-301 to 49-20-407.1 to align with the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program.

TECHNICAL

Added new section title 'PEHP Amendments' to clarify the bill focuses on the Public Employees' Health Plan.

Introduced → Enrolled · 5 edits · Mar 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was significantly rewritten to shift from a general employer notification requirement to a specific mandate for the state's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program. The new version extends the enrollment window for adding a newborn or adopted child to 60 days and applies only to state employees rather than all employers.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from applying to all employers offering health insurance to applying only to the state's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program and state employees.

REQUIREMENT

The enrollment deadline for adding a newly born or adopted child to a health plan was changed from a variable number of days based on the plan to a fixed 60-day period.

The requirement for employers to provide a specific notification to employees about enrollment deadlines was removed.

SCOPE

The requirement was changed from applying to all employers offering health insurance to applying only to the state's Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'employer' was removed, as the bill now specifically targets the state benefits program rather than private or public employers generally.

ENFORCEMENT

The bill was changed from requiring employers to notify employees to requiring the state program itself to allow the 60-day enrollment window.

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