(a) Any person employed as a temporary sessional employee by the Joint Committee on Legislative Management may elect to participate in any group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan offered to full-time permanent employees of the Legislative Department, provided such participation shall be at the employee's own expense.
(b) On or after July 1, 1984, any such temporary sessional employee who (1) is employed during both the sessional and interim periods, (2) was so employed for at least two hundred days during the previous twelve-month period and (3) elects to participate in any such plan, shall be eligible to have payment for the cost of such participation made in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of full-time permanent employees of the Legislative Department. The Joint Committee on Legislative Management shall adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection.