Bill Text: IA HF2049 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to continuation of health care coverage for certain surviving spouses and children of peace officers killed in the line of duty, and including applicability provisions. (See HF 2351.)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-22 - Withdrawn. H.J. 371. [HF2049 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HF2049-Introduced.html
House File 2049 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY SEXTON A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to continuation of health care coverage for 2 certain surviving spouses and children of peace officers 3 killed in the line of duty, and including applicability 4 provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5643YH (3) 87 ec/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 509A.13C Continuation of coverage 1 2 of surviving spouse and children of peace officers killed in the 1 3 line of duty. 1 4 1. For the purposes of this section, "eligible peace 1 5 officer" means a member as defined in section 97A.1, a special 1 6 service member as defined in section 97B.1A, or a member as 1 7 defined in section 411.1, to which a line of duty death benefit 1 8 is payable pursuant to section 97A.6, subsection 16, section 1 9 97B.52, subsection 2, or section 411.6, subsection 15. 1 10 2. a. If a governing body, a county board of supervisors, 1 11 or a city council has procured accident or health care coverage 1 12 for its employees under this chapter, such coverage shall 1 13 permit continuation of existing coverage for the surviving 1 14 spouse and each surviving child of an eligible peace officer. 1 15 b. The governing body, county board of supervisors, or city 1 16 council shall pay the full cost of the coverage required in 1 17 this section. 1 18 c. The coverage required in this section for a surviving 1 19 child of an eligible peace officer shall continue through the 1 20 earliest of the following: 1 21 (1) The policy anniversary date on or after the date the 1 22 child attains the age of twenty=six. 1 23 (2) The date on which the child becomes eligible for group 1 24 medical coverage, whether insured or self=insured. 1 25 d. The coverage required under this section for a surviving 1 26 spouse shall continue until the earlier of any of the 1 27 following: 1 28 (1) Five years after the date of death of the eligible peace 1 29 officer. 1 30 (2) The date on which the surviving spouse becomes eligible 1 31 for group medical coverage, whether insured or self=insured. 1 32 (3) The date on which the surviving spouse becomes eligible 1 33 for coverage under Medicare or is covered by Medicaid. 1 34 (4) The date on which the surviving spouse remarries. 1 35 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a surviving 2 1 spouse who is no longer eligible for continuation of coverage 2 2 under this section pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "d", 2 3 subparagraph (1), may elect to continue accident or health 2 4 care coverage by requesting continuation in writing to the 2 5 applicable governing body, county board of supervisors, or city 2 6 council within thirty=one days after the date the surviving 2 7 spouse is no longer eligible under subsection 2, paragraph "d", 2 8 subparagraph (1). A surviving spouse electing to continue 2 9 coverage under this subsection shall pay the total premium for 2 10 the accident or health coverage. The right of the surviving 2 11 spouse to continue coverage under this subsection shall cease 2 12 if any of the conditions in subsection 2, paragraph "d", 2 13 subparagraph (2), (3), or (4), occurs. 2 14 4. This section shall not require continuation of coverage 2 15 if the surviving spouse or surviving child who would otherwise 2 16 be entitled to continuation of coverage under this section was, 2 17 through the surviving spouse's or surviving child's actions, a 2 18 substantial contributing factor to the eligible peace officer's 2 19 death. 2 20 Sec. 2. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to a death 2 21 occurring on or after July 1, 2018. 2 22 EXPLANATION 2 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 24 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 25 This bill requires a city, county, or the state to continue 2 26 to provide group health insurance benefits to the surviving 2 27 spouse and children of an eligible peace officer. The bill 2 28 defines an eligible peace officer as a member of the public 2 29 safety peace officers' retirement system created under Code 2 30 chapter 97A, a special service member of the Iowa public 2 31 employees' retirement system created under Code chapter 97B, 2 32 or a member of the statewide fire and police retirement system 2 33 created under Code chapter 411, to which a line of duty death 2 34 benefit under the applicable Code chapter is payable. The bill 2 35 provides that the full cost of the continuing coverage must 3 1 be paid for by the eligible peace officer's employer. The 3 2 bill provides that coverage for a surviving spouse continues 3 3 until the earlier of five years from the date of death of 3 4 the eligible peace officer, when the spouse remarries, when 3 5 the spouse becomes eligible for Medicare, or when the spouse 3 6 is covered by Medicaid. The coverage for a surviving child 3 7 lasts until the child reaches the age of 26. The bill also 3 8 provides that continuing coverage ends if the surviving spouse 3 9 or children become eligible for other group medical coverage. 3 10 A surviving spouse may elect to continue coverage beyond 3 11 five years after the date of the eligible peace officer's death 3 12 by notifying the eligible peace officer's employer in writing 3 13 and by paying the full cost of the coverage. 3 14 The bill also provides that a surviving spouse or child who 3 15 caused the eligible peace officer's death is not entitled to 3 16 continuation of coverage. 3 17 The bill applies to deaths occurring on or after July 1, 3 18 2018. LSB 5643YH (3) 87 ec/rj
