A. There is created the "retiree health care authority", which is established to provide for comprehensive group health insurance programs under the Retiree Health Care Act. The authority shall be administratively attached to the public school insurance authority until December 31, 1993. The director of the public school insurance authority shall be the executive director of the retiree health care authority until December 31, 1993. The board created by Section 10-7C-6 NMSA 1978 shall remain fully independent of the board of the public school insurance authority.
B. The authority shall also administer the senior prescription drug program in conjunction with or through the consolidated purchasing process pursuant to the Health Care Purchasing Act [Chapter 13, Article 7 NMSA 1978].
History: Laws 1990, ch. 6, § 5; 2002, ch. 75, § 1; 2002, ch. 80, § 1.
ANNOTATIONS2002 amendments. — Identical amendments to this section were enacted by Laws 2002, ch. 75, § 1 and Laws 2002, ch. 80, § 1, effective May 15, 2002, adding Subsection B. This section was set out as amended by Laws 2002, ch. 80, § 1. See 12-1-8 NMSA 1978.
State agency. — The retiree health care authority is a state agency and thus is subject to the various regulatory provisions that apply to state agencies absent express statutory exemptions. 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.
Records retention. — As a state agency, the retiree health care authority is subject to record retention regulations adopted by the state commission of public records pursuant to 14-3-4 NMSA 1978. 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.
State Rules Act. — Retiree health care authority (RHCA) is not excluded from the State Rules Act (Sections 14-4-1 to 14-4-9 NMSA 1978); therefore, the RHCA must file its rules with the Records Center. 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.
Information systems. — Retiree health care authority (RHCA) is not excluded from the provisions of the Information Systems Act [now repealed]. Therefore, the RHCA's purchases of computer software and hardware and its information systems plan are subject to approval by the Information Systems Council. 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.
Contracts of authority. — The retiree health care authority is a state agency and the professional service contracts it enters into are therefore governed by Section 13-1-118 NMSA 1978. 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.
Leasing provisions. — Retiree health care authority is subject to leasing regulations of the property control division of the general services department in accordance with the property control director's obligation to "control the lease or rental of space in private buildings by state executive agencies other than the state land office." 1991 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 91-06.