                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

INSURANCE FOR EMPLOYEES AND RETIRED EMPLOYEES OF LOCALITIES AND OTHER LOCAL
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES; PARTICIPATION BY CERTAIN VOLUNTEERS (§ 15.2-1517)

A. Any locality may provide group life, accident, and health insurance programs
for its officers and employees; employees of boards, commissions, agencies, or
authorities created by or controlled by such locality; employees of boards,
commissions, agencies, or authorities that are political subdivisions of the
Commonwealth and work in close cooperation with such locality; or employees of a
public school foundation as defined in subsection A of &#xA7; 22.1-212.2:2 that
provides support exclusively for such locality. In addition, any locality that
provides such a health insurance program may allow eligible members of approved
volunteer fire or rescue companies, as determined by the locality, to
participate in such a health insurance program. Such programs may be through a
program of self-insurance, purchased insurance, or partial self-insurance and
purchased insurance, whichever is determined to be the most cost effective. The
total cost of such policies or protection may be paid entirely by the locality
or shared with the employee. The governing body of any locality may provide for
its retired officers and retired employees, including retired employees of
boards, commissions, agencies, or authorities that are political subdivisions of
the Commonwealth and work in close cooperation with such locality, to be
eligible for such group life, accident, and health insurance programs. The cost
of such insurance for retired officers and retired employees may be paid in
whole or in part by the locality. The governing body of any locality may permit
members of approved volunteer fire or rescue companies to participate in its
group health insurance programs, subject to the eligibility criteria established
by the locality. The cost of a volunteer&#8217;s participation in such a health
insurance program shall be paid for in full by the participating volunteer. Any
locality may fund the cost of a volunteer&#8217;s participation in a mental
health treatment and counseling program that is offered to individual members of
approved volunteer fire or rescue companies and is comparable to an employee
assistance program offered to paid employees of the locality.
			Any locality may allow participation in its group health insurance program by
any non-benefitted employee, including members of governing bodies, if such
non-benefitted employee or governing body member is not otherwise entitled to
participate, provided that such non-benefitted employees reimburse the locality
for the full cost of their participation. For purposes of this subsection,
reimbursement may include forgoing all or a part of a local government salary.

B. In the event a county or city elects to provide one or more of such programs
for its officers and employees, it shall provide such programs to the
constitutional officers and their employees on the same basis as provided to
other officers and employees, unless the constitutional officers and employees
are covered under a state program, and the cost of such local program shall be
borne entirely by the locality or shared with the employee.

C. 1. Except as otherwise provided herein, in the event the governing body of
any locality elects to provide group accident and health insurance for its
officers and employees, including constitutional officers and their employees,
such programs shall require that upon retirement, or upon the effective date of
this provision for those who have previously retired, any such individual with
(i) at least 15 years of continuous employment with the locality or (ii) less
than 15 years of continuous employment who has retired due to line-of-duty
injuries may choose to continue his coverage with the insurer at the
retiree&#8217;s expense until such individual attains 65 years of age at the
insurer&#8217;s customary premium rate applicable (a) to such policies, (b) to
the class of risk to which the person then belongs, and (c) to his age.

   2. The governing body, when providing this coverage, may further provide that
   the retiree be rated separately from the active employees covered under the
   group plan offered by such governing body.

   3. Any locality that has not offered the opportunity to continue group health
   coverage provided by the locality as required by subdivision 1 to its retirees
   who had retired on or before June 30, 1993, and who meet the criteria for such
   coverage as set forth in subdivision 1, shall do so by July 1, 2000. Any
   retiree from the service of a locality who had retired on or before June 30,
   1993, and who meets the criteria to continue his group health coverage from
   the locality under subdivision 1 who has not yet elected to continue his group
   health coverage from the locality shall elect whether to do so by July 1,
   2000.

   4. Nothing herein shall prohibit a locality from providing group accident and
   health coverage or benefits for its retirees in addition to the coverage
   required under this section.

   5. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, general or special, a
   locality may include in group life, accident, and health insurance programs
   any person to whom coverage could be extended pursuant to &#xA7; 38.2-3525.

D. Any locality that offers group health plans to its employees and the
employees of constitutional officers and its retirees, as provided by this
section or otherwise, may provide in the plan providing such coverage that any
retiree who is participating in a group health plan provided by the locality who
subsequently terminates his participation in such plan may not thereafter rejoin
a group health plan provided by the locality.

HISTORY: 1981, c. 332, § 15.1-7.3; 1984, c. 712; 1987, cc. 435, 564; 1992, c.
750; 1993, c. 782; 1997, c. 587; 1999, c. 797; 2003, c. 409; 2007, c. 150; 2012,
cc. 191, 515; 2016, cc. 207, 417; 2020, cc. 424, 425; 2022, cc. 105, 106; 2024,
cc. 481, 541.