1. Each employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 shall be entitled to the same insurance benefits provided under sections 103.003 to 103.175 to employees described in paragraph (a) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 to cover the medical expenses of such employees and their spouses and children. Such insurance benefits shall be made available to employees described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 upon their initial employment as such employees in the same manner provided for employees described in paragraph (a) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010, and shall be continued during any period of time, not to exceed one year, in which such employees are not paid for full-time employment, so long as such employees pay the same amount for such insurance benefits as is required of employees described in paragraph (a) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 who continue receiving such insurance benefits during a leave of absence without pay from their employment with the state. Any employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 who is reemployed by the general assembly or either house thereof, or by any member of the general assembly while acting in his official capacity as a member, by the thirteenth legislative day of the session of the general assembly immediately following the session of the general assembly in which such employee was last so employed, without having elected to discontinue the insurance benefits described in this subsection, shall be entitled to continue such insurance benefits without having to prove insurability for himself or any of his covered dependents for whom he has paid for such coverage continuously since last employed as an employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010. Any employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 who is not reemployed by the general assembly or either house thereof, or by any member of the general assembly while acting in his official capacity as a member, by the thirteenth legislative day of the session of the general assembly immediately following the session of the general assembly in which such employee was last so employed, shall be deemed terminated as an employee as of such thirteenth legislative day, and the insurance benefits provided for such employee under this subsection and sections 103.003 to 103.175 shall be terminated as provided for employees described in paragraph (a) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 whose employment is terminated. During each month of service in which an employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 is employed, the state shall make any contribution required by sections 103.003 to 103.175 for such employee.

2. Any employee described in paragraph (b) of subdivision (21) of section 104.010 who is actively employed on or after September 28, 1992, shall be deemed vested for purposes of determining eligibility for benefits under sections 104.320 to 104.620 after being so employed for at least sixty months.