Bill Text: NY S03627 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: 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.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-20 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S03627 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S03627-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 3627 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E February 7, 2013 ___________ 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 certain retired public employees THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. On and after the effective date of this act, a public 2 employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance bene- 3 fits provided to retirees and their dependents or the contributions such 4 employer makes for such health insurance coverage below the level of 5 such benefits or contributions made on behalf of such retirees and their 6 dependents by such employer as of the effective date of this act. For 7 the purpose of this act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i) 8 the state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) any governmental 9 entity operating a college or university; (iv) a public improvement or 10 special district including police or fire districts; (v) a public 11 authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vi) any other 12 public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government which 13 exercises governmental power under the laws of this state. The term 14 public employer shall not include any school district, board of cooper- 15 ative educational services, vocational education and extension board or 16 school district as enumerated in section 1 of chapter 566 of the laws of 17 1977, as amended. 18 S 2. Nothing contained in this act shall supersede or diminish the 19 terms of a collective bargaining agreement. 20 S 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to the 21 contrary, a public employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the 22 health insurance benefits provided to retirees who retire after the 23 effective date of this act from positions not subject to a collective 24 bargaining agreement and their dependents, or the contributions such 25 employer makes for such health insurance coverage, below the level of EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02918-01-3 S. 3627 2 1 such benefits or contributions made on behalf of active employees in 2 such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement. 3 S 4. Nothing contained in this act shall require a public employer 4 which does not provide health insurance benefits to retirees and their 5 dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits. 6 S 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 7 have become a law.