(a) The Alabama State Port Authority is hereby authorized to provide and establish a plan of life and health insurance for the salaried officers and employees of Alabama state docks who work full time for the Alabama state docks and receive their compensation on a bi-weekly basis and also a plan of health insurance for the spouses and dependent children of such officers and employees and to pay the costs and premiums of such life and health insurance from the revenues of the Alabama State Port Authority.
(b) Such health insurance plan may provide for group hospitalization, surgical, medical and dental insurance against the financial costs of hospitalization, surgical, medical and dental treatment and care, and may also include, among other things, prescribed drugs, medicines, prosthetic appliances, hospital in-patient and out-patient service benefits, including major medical benefits, or such other coverage or benefits as may be deemed appropriate and desirable by the port authority. The life insurance plan shall be a group plan with the face amount of such life insurance coverage on such salaried officers and employees limited to such amounts as may be deemed appropriate and desirable by the port authority.
(c) The port authority is hereby authorized to execute a contract or contracts to provide the benefits under the life and health insurance coverage provided by this section. Such contract or contracts may be executed with one or more agents or corporations licensed to transact life and health insurance business in this state. All of the benefits to be provided under this section may be included in one or more similar contracts issued by the same or different companies. Before entering into any contract hereby authorized said port authority shall invite competitive bids from qualified insurers who wish to offer plans for the life and health insurance coverage provided by this section.
(d) The benefits provided for herein shall not exceed the benefits provided to employees of the Alabama State Port Authority subject to collective bargaining agreements.
Last modified: May 3, 2021