S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1668
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. WEPRIN, COLTON, BENEDETTO, DiPIETRO, BRONSON,
   WOERNER, SANTABARBARA, BRABENEC, ROZIC, DURSO,  SMITH,  STIRPE,  CRUZ,
   JACOBSON, DeSTEFANO, STECK, SHIMSKY, JONES, SIMONE, HEVESI, PIROZZOLO,
   GANDOLFO,  NOVAKHOV,  BUTTENSCHON, R. CARROLL, STERN, WILLIAMS, LEVEN-
   BERG, LEMONDES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GIGLIO, LAVINE, McDO-
   NOUGH, RA, RIVERA -- read  once  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
   Governmental Employees
 
 AN  ACT  to prohibit public employers from diminishing the health insur-
   ance benefits and contributions of certain 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03702-01-5
              

 A. 1668                             2
 
 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.
   §  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 immediately and shall be deemed to
 have been in full force and effect on and after January 1, 2025.