(a) Pursuant to standards established by the department, the employing office of a state employee or state annuitant shall possess documentation verifying eligibility of an employee’s or annuitant’s family member prior to the enrollment of a family member in a health benefit plan. The employing office shall maintain the verifying documentation in the employee or annuitant’s official personnel or member file.

(b) The employing office of the state employee or state annuitant shall obtain verifying documentation to substantiate the continued eligibility of family members as follows:

(1) At least once within a three-year period from the initial enrollment for birth and adopted children.

(2) At least once every three years for the following family members:

(A) Spouses.

(B) Domestic partners.

(C) Stepchildren and domestic partner children.

(3) At least once annually for other children for whom the state employee or state annuitant has assumed a parent-child relationship.

(c) For purposes of this section, the Public Employees’ Retirement System is the employing office of a state annuitant.

(d) The department shall consult with, but shall not be required to obtain the approval of, the Public Employees’ Retirement System prior to adopting any regulations pursuant to this section.

(e) This section shall be interpreted in accordance with the definitions provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 22760) of Chapter 1 of Part 5.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 78, Sec. 1. (AB 138) Effective July 16, 2021.)