Bill Text: NJ S2995 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires use of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund grants to reduce increases in premium rates for SHBP and SEHBP for calendar year 2023.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-09-22 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S2995 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S2995-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires use of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund grants to reduce increases in premium rates for SHBP and SEHBP for calendar year 2023.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the increases in premium rates for calendar year 2023 for the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Subject to the availability of federal funds provided or made accessible to the State as federal block grant funds allocated from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, or any other federal funds made available to the State in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such federal funds shall be allocated to the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program as shall be necessary to reduce the total increase of the premium rates approved by the State Health Benefits Commission and School Employees' Health Benefits Commission for calendar year 2023 for the medical and prescription drug benefit plans for the State employee and retiree group, the local government employee and retiree group, and the local education employee and retiree group.
The federal funds shall be allocated to the extent such funds remain available for this purpose. If the federal funds remaining are not sufficient to reduce the total increase of the premium rates, the State Treasurer shall use the maximum amount of such funds that are remaining to reduce the increase of the premium rates to the maximum extent possible.
The reduction in the increase in the premium rates shall be for each medical and prescription drug benefit plan for each category of active and retired employees and their dependents.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program such sums from those federal block grant funds provided or made accessible to the State from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, or any other federal funds made available to the State in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as shall be necessary, in amounts subject to approval by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, for use by the programs to provide for the reduction of the increase in the premium rates as specified in section 1 of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill will appropriate federal funds provided or made accessible to the State as federal block grant funds allocated from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, or any other federal funds made available to the State in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program to reduce the total increase of the premium rates approved by the State Health Benefits Commission and School Employees' Health Benefits Commission for calendar year 2023 for the medical and prescription drug benefit plans for the State employee and retiree group, the local government employee and retiree group, and the local education employee and retiree group.
If the federal funds remaining are not sufficient to reduce in total the increase of the premium rates, the State Treasurer is required to use the maximum amount of such funds that are remaining.
