NY State Senate Bill 2017-S8220

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 19, 2018	referred to civil service and pensions

co-Sponsors

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2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5455
Current Committee:: Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:: Retirement
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S5543, A7060
2011-2012: S4371, A2007
2013-2014: S3627, A902
2015-2016: S3320, A3539
2019-2020: S3854, A4203
2021-2022: S5030
2023-2024: S4191

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance; defines employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions.

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8220

SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to prohibit public employers from diminishing
the health insurance benefits and contributions of retired public
employees

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would prohibit state and local governments from diminishing
the health insurance benefits of retirees below the level of benefits
that are in place 30 days after this act shall become law.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Prohibits the State and local governments from diminishing
the health insurance benefits of retirees and their dependents, as well
as the employer contribution toward such health insurance, below the
level of benefits in place 30 days after this act shall take effect.
This bill does not apply to school districts and BOCES because they have
been recently covered under the current law.

Section 2: Grants precedence to collective bargaining agreements.

Section 3: Provides for future retirees from positions not subject to a
collective bargaining agreement.

Section 4: Ensures that a public employer which does not now offer
health insurance benefits to retirees is not required to do so under
this bill.

 
EXISTING LAW:

Chapter 729 of the laws of 1994, as amended by Chapter 22 of the Laws of
2007 and the laws of 2009, prohibits school districts and BOCES from
diminishing retiree health insurance benefits, unless there is a paral-
lel diminution affecting active employees. Article XI of the Civil
Service Law provides that retires from the State and participating agen-
cies in the New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP) shall receive
the same health insurance benefits as negotiated with active employees.
There is no existing law protecting health insurance benefits of reti-
rees from local governments.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Given the increasing costs of health care, health insurance coverage is
of tremendous importance to retirees and their dependents.

Although there have been a number of attempts to protect retiree health
coverage, there is no consistent standard for all retirees.  Education
retirees are now protected by a law. Some workers have retired under
union contracts with stronger protections. Many retirees, however, have
no protection. This bill creates a uniform standard of protection which
applies to all retirees and their dependents, unless covered by a more
favorable union contract.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:


A.7060-A held for consideration by ways and means in 2010 S.6029E in
2007 01/12/11 referred to governmental employees 01/04/12 referred to
governmental employees 05/01/12 reported referred to ways and means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None. This bill merely requires the State to continue the level of bene-
fits which it is now providing.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
30 days after it shall have become law.

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8220
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 19, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
 
 AN ACT to prohibit public employers from diminishing the  health  insur-
   ance benefits and contributions of retired public employees
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. On and after the effective  date  of  this  act,  a  public
 employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance bene-
 fits provided to retirees, who retired before, on or after the effective
 date of this act, and their dependents or the contributions such employ-
 er  makes  for  such  health  insurance coverage below the level of such
 benefits or contributions made on behalf  of  such  retirees  and  their
 dependents by such employer as of the retiree's date of retirement.  For
 the purpose of this act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i)
 the  state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) any governmental
 entity operating a college or university; (iv) a public  improvement  or
 special  district  including  police  or  fire  districts;  (v) a public
 authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vi)  any  other
 public  corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government which
 exercises governmental power under the laws of this  state.    The  term
 public  employer shall not include any school district, board of cooper-
 ative educational services, or vocational education and extension board.
   § 2. Nothing contained in this act shall  supersede  or  diminish  the
 terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
   §  3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to the
 contrary, a public employer shall be  prohibited  from  diminishing  the
 health  insurance  benefits  provided  to  retirees who retire after the
 effective date of this act from positions not subject  to  a  collective
 bargaining  agreement  and  their  dependents, or the contributions such
 employer makes for such health insurance coverage, below  the  level  of
 such  benefits  or  contributions  made on behalf of active employees in
 such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09559-02-7

 S. 8220                             2
 
   § 4. Nothing contained in this act shall  require  a  public  employer
 which  does  not provide health insurance benefits to retirees and their
 dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits.
   §  5.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S8220

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

co-Sponsors

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S8220

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Sponsored By

Andrew J. Lanza

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions Committee

co-Sponsors

Fred Akshar

Tony Avella

David Carlucci

Shelley B. Mayer

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S8220 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments