Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §6603, first ¶, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 618, §6, is amended to read:

This section governs all multiple-employer welfare arrangements except for those offered by a registered employee leasing company complying with the requirements of section 6603-A or those self-funded arrangements that meet the criteria of section 6603-B for eligible employers or associations.

Sec. 2. 24-A MRSA §6603, sub-§1, ¶¶B and D, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 688, §1, are amended to read:

B. Must be established by a trade association, industry association, political subdivision of the State, religious organization or professional association of employers or professionals that has a constitution or bylaws and that has, except for those associations meeting the criteria of section 6603-B, must have been organized and maintained in good faith for a continuous period of one year for purposes other than that of obtaining or providing insurance;

D. May not be offered, advertised or available to employers or other members of the public generally, except as allowed under section 6603-B;

Sec. 3. 24-A MRSA §6603-B is enacted to read:

§6603-B.__Self-funded business association

A self-funded business association, referred to throughout this section as an "association," that is composed of 2 or more eligible employers and that provides health benefits on other than a fully insured basis for eligible employees and their dependents must comply with the requirements of this section.

1.__Definitions.__As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A.__"Aggregate number of eligible employees who were not full-time employees" means the quotient of the combined average weekly hours worked by each eligible employee who was not a full-time employee of a particular employer divided by the standard for a full-time schedule for that employer.

B.__"Eligible employee" means every employee providing services to or on behalf of an eligible employer and subject to inclusion by an eligible employer in computing the