§ 21-5-410 - Employees -- Eligibility. - Arkansas Statutes

21-5-410. Employees -- Eligibility.

(a) Eligible employees shall include:

(1) All actively employed, eligible employees of participating agencies, boards, commissions, institutions, and constitutional offices;

(2) Members of the General Assembly;

(3) Elected constitutional officers;

(4) Appointed or elected board and commission members who are on a full-time salaried basis; and

(5) (A) Those state contract employees hired by the Arkansas National Guard on a full-time basis in accordance with the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 2304.

(B) Membership of the contract employees of the Arkansas National Guard is conditioned upon the United States Government contributing the employer's share to the Employee Benefits Division of the Department of Finance and Administration.

(b) Membership of a state employee is conditioned upon the employee being in a budgeted state employee position or a position authorized by the General Assembly.

(c) An employee is one whose actual performance of duty requires one thousand (1,000) or more working hours per year.

(d) If a participating institution discontinues its participation in the group health and life insurance program instituted pursuant to the provisions of this subchapter, then the institution may not re-participate in the program for two (2) years after the institution's final date of participation in the program unless the executive director of the Employee Benefits Division of the Department of Finance and Administration gives his or her consent to an earlier date.

(e) Members are not allowed dual eligibility in either the state insurance plan or the public school insurance plan.

(f) The Arkansas State Police Employee Health Plan shall be exempt from any mandatory participation required by this section.