Georgia § 20-2-880 - Definitions.

§ 20-2-880. Definitions.

As used in this subpart, the term or terms: "Board" means the Board of Community Health established under Chapter 2 of Title 31. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of community health established under Chapter 2 of Title 31. "Local employer" means the county or independent board of education, a charter school, regional and county libraries, and the governing authority of Georgia Military College. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" mean any person employed not less than half time in a professionally certificated capacity or position in the public school systems of this state. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" also mean librarians and other personnel employed not less than 30 hours per week by regional and county libraries. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" also mean personnel employed by the high school program of Georgia Military College. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" also mean any professionally certificated person who has acquired ten years or more of creditable service and who is being paid retirement benefits by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, Chapter 3 of Title 47, or by any other public school teacher retirement system in this state. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" also mean any person employed not less than half time and compensated in a professionally certificated capacity or position in a charter school in this state established pursuant to either Article 31 or 31A of this chapter if such charter school elects upon initial approval of its charter or, if such charter school is an existing charter school, elects upon notice by the health insurance plan provided in this part or upon the expiration of its current health care plan or by no later than December 31, 2009, to participate in the health insurance plan established pursuant to this subpart. "Public school teacher," "teacher," and "employee" shall not be deemed to include any emergency or temporary employee. Notwithstanding this definition or any other provision of this subpart, the board may, by regulation, make available to employees who work 17 1/2 hours or more per week such benefits as are required to be made available to such employees by regulations of the United States Internal Revenue Service or any other federal authority. "Qualified entity" means any person, association, corporation, or other legal entity with which the board is authorized under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45, relating to state employees' health insurance, to enter into contract. (Ga. L. 1975, p. 37, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 991, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 2268, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1979, p. 1290, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 291, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, § 20; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1143, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 20; Ga. L. 1999, p. 296, § 26; Ga. L. 2001, p. 4, § 20; Ga. L. 2008, p. 612, § 1/HB 1277; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-7/HB 228; Ga. L. 2014, p. 171, § 1/HB 490; Ga. L. 2020, p. 21, § 1/HB 957.) The 2014 amendment, effective July 1, 2014, in paragraph (4), inserted "not less than 30 hours per week" in the middle of the second sentence and substituted ". 'Public school teacher,' 'teacher,' and 'employee' also mean personnel employed by" for "or" at the beginning of the third sentence. The 2020 amendment, effective July 1, 2020, substituted "either Article 31 or 31A of this chapter" for "Article 31 of Chapter 2 of Title 20" in the middle of the fifth sentence of paragraph (4).