NY State Senate Bill 2019-S646

Senate Bill S646

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Creates a temporary state commission to study and investigate the legality of the 2006 merger of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York and Group Health Incorporated; appropriation

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance 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
Jan 08, 2020	referred to finance
Jan 09, 2019	referred to finance

2019-S646 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S7638
2017-2018: S2973
2021-2022: S6139

2019-S646 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a temporary state commission to study and investigate the legality of the 2006 merger of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York and Group Health Incorporated; appropriates $250,000 therefor.

2019-S646 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S646

SPONSOR: BOYLE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to create a temporary state commission to study
and investigate the legality of the 2006 merger of the Health Insurance
Plan of Greater New York and Group Health Incorporated; making an appro-
priation therefor; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

Creates a temporary state commission to study and investigate the legal-
ity of the 2006 merger of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York
and Group Health Incorporated.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Creates a temporary state commission to study the 2006 merger
of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) and Group Health
Incorporated (GHI) and analyze the legality of the transaction.

Section 2. Establishes that the commission shall consist of fifteen
members who are knowledgeable on mergers, acquisitions, insurance, or
related matters.

Section 3. Establishes that the members of the commission shall receive
no compensation but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses.

Section 4. Allows the commission to employ personnel it deems necessary
for the performance of its functions.

Section 5. Empowers the commission to undertake any studies, inquiries,
surveys, or analyses it deems relevant.

Section 6. Empowers the commission to receive from the State any facili-
ties, assistance, and data it deems necessary to the proper execution of
its duties.

Section 7. Calls upon the commission to report its findings and recom-
mendations to the Governor and Legislature.

Section 8. Allocates $250,000 for the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of this act. Section 9. Effective Date and Expiration Date.

 
EXISTING LAW:

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The 2006 merger of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York and
Group Health Incorporated has raised many questions about the legality
of the transaction. This bill would create a temporary state commission
to investigate the legality of these transactions and report its find-
ings to the Legislature and the Governor.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

05/11/16 REFERRED TO FINANCE
01/18/17 REFERRED TO FINANCE
01/03/18 REFERRED TO FINANCE
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Approximately $250,000.

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S646 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    646
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BOYLE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to create a temporary state commission to study  and  investigate
   the legality of the 2006 merger of the Health Insurance Plan of Great-
   er  New  York  and  Group Health Incorporated; making an appropriation
   therefor; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expira-
   tion thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. A temporary state commission is hereby created to study the
 2006  merger  of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) and
 Group Health Incorporated (GHI). The commission  shall  investigate  and
 make written determinations on the legality of these transactions.
   §  2.  (a) The commission shall consist of fifteen members as follows:
 three members shall be appointed by the speaker of the  assembly;  three
 members  shall  be  appointed  by the temporary president of the senate;
 three members shall be appointed by the governor; two members  shall  be
 appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and two members shall be
 appointed  by  the minority leader of the assembly. Members so appointed
 shall be knowledgeable on mergers, acquisitions, insurance,  or  related
 matters.  The  remaining  members  shall  be  the heads of the following
 departments or agencies or their respective designees: the department of
 financial services and the attorney general. No person shall be a member
 of such commission while such person is a member of the senate or assem-
 bly. Any vacancy on such commission shall be filled in the  same  manner
 as  the original appointment was made. The chairperson of the commission
 shall be the head or designee of the attorney general.  The  vice-chair-
 person of the commission shall be appointed by the chairperson.
   (b)  Except as provided in subdivision (a) of this section, no member,
 officer or employee of the commission shall be disqualified from holding
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04380-01-9

 S. 646                              2
 
 any other public office or employment, nor shall he or she  forfeit  any
 such office or employment by reason of his or her appointment hereunder,
 notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  any general, special or local law,
 ordinance or city charter.
   §  3.  The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
   § 4. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove  such  personnel
 as  it  may  deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix
 their compensation within the amounts made  available  by  appropriation
 therefor.
   §  5.  For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission shall be
 authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or
 analyses it may deem relevant through its own personnel  or  in  cooper-
 ation with or by agreement with any other public or private agency. Such
 commission shall meet and hold public hearings or private meetings with-
 in  or without the state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative
 committee pursuant to the legislative law.
   § 6. The commission may request and shall receive from  any  court  in
 the  state  and from any subdivision, department, board, bureau, commis-
 sion, office, agency or other instrumentality of the  state  or  of  any
 political subdivision thereof such facilities, assistance and data as it
 deems  necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers and
 duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
   § 7. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any
 recommendations for legislative action as  it  may  deem  necessary  and
 appropriate,  to the governor and the legislature no later than December
 thirty-first in the year next succeeding the  year  in  which  this  act
 shall have become a law.
   §  8.  The  sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary, is
 hereby appropriated out of any moneys  in  the  state  treasury  in  the
 general  fund  to  the credit of the state purposes account for services
 and expenses of this commission, not otherwise  appropriated,  and  made
 immediately  available for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of
 this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant  of  the
 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the chair of the tempo-
 rary commission established pursuant to this act.
   §  9.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the
 thirty-first of December next succeeding the year after  such  effective
 date  when  upon  such  date  the provisions of this act shall be deemed
 repealed.

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