Bill Text: FL S1764 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy [WPSC]
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Community Affairs [S1764 Detail]
Download: Florida-2010-S1764-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2010 SB 1764 By Senator Lawson 6-01370-10 20101764__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the retiree health insurance 3 subsidy; amending s. 112.363, F.S.; increasing the 4 minimum and maximum health insurance subsidies; 5 providing for a cost-of-living adjustment to the 6 subsidy; increasing the contribution paid by employers 7 of members in state-administered retirement plans; 8 providing legislative findings; providing an effective 9 date. 10 11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12 13 Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section 14 112.363, Florida Statutes, is amended, paragraphs (f), (g), and 15 (h) are added to that subsection, and subsection (8) of that 16 section is amended, to read: 17 112.363 Retiree health insurance subsidy.— 18 (3) RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY AMOUNT.— 19 (e)1.Beginning July 1, 2001, each eligible retiree of the 20 defined benefit program of the Florida Retirement System, or, if 21 the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary who is receiving 22 a monthly benefit from such retiree’s account and who is a 23 spouse, or a person who meets the definition of joint annuitant 24 in s. 121.021(28), shall receive a monthly retiree health 25 insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years of 26 creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at 27 the time of retirement multiplied by $5; however, annoeligible 28 retiree or beneficiary may not receive a subsidy payment of more 29 than $150 or less than $30. If there are multiple beneficiaries, 30 the total payment maymustnot be greater than the payment to 31 which the retiree was entitled. The health insurance subsidy 32 amount payable to any person receiving the retiree health 33 insurance subsidy payment on July 1, 2001, mayshallnot be 34 reduced solely by operation of this subparagraph. 35 (f)2.Beginning July 1, 2002, each eligible participant of 36 the Public Employee Optional Retirement Program of the Florida 37 Retirement System who has met the requirements of this section, 38 or, if the participant is deceased, his or her spouse who is the 39 participant’s designated beneficiary, shall receive a monthly 40 retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of 41 years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021provided42in this subparagraph, completed at the time of retirement, 43 multiplied by $5; however, annoeligible retiree or beneficiary 44 may not receive a subsidy payment of more than $150 or less than 45 $30. For purposes of determining a participant’s creditable 46 serviceused to calculate the health insurance subsidy, a 47 participant’s years of service credit or fraction thereof must 48shallbe based on the participant’s work year as defined in s. 49 121.021(54). Credit shall be awarded for a full work year 50 whenever health insurance subsidy contributions arehave been51 madeas required by lawfor each month in the participant’s work 52 year. In addition, all years of creditable service retained 53 under the Florida Retirement System defined benefit program must 54shallbe included as creditable service for purposes of this 55 section. Notwithstanding any other provision in this sectionto56the contrary, the spouse at the time of death isshall bethe 57 participant’s beneficiary unless such participant has designated 58 a different beneficiary aftersubsequent tothe participant’s 59 most recent marriage. 60 (g) Beginning January 1, 2011: 61 1. Each eligible retiree of the defined benefit program of 62 the Florida Retirement System or, if the retiree is deceased, 63 his or her beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from 64 the retiree’s account and who is a spouse or a person who meets 65 the definition of a joint annuitant in s. 121.021 shall receive 66 a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the 67 number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021, 68 completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $6; however, 69 an eligible retiree or beneficiary may not receive a subsidy 70 payment of more than $180 or less than $36. If there are 71 multiple beneficiaries, the total payment may not be greater 72 than the payment to which the retiree was entitled. 73 Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, the spouse 74 at the time of death is the participant’s beneficiary unless the 75 participant has designated a different beneficiary after the 76 participant’s most recent marriage. The health insurance subsidy 77 amount payable to any person receiving the retiree health 78 insurance subsidy payment on January 1, 2010, may not be reduced 79 solely by operation of this subparagraph. 80 2. Each eligible participant of the Public Employee 81 Optional Retirement Program of the Florida Retirement System who 82 has met the requirements of this section or, if the participant 83 is deceased, his or her spouse who is the participant’s 84 designated beneficiary shall receive a monthly retiree health 85 insurance subsidy equal to the number of years of creditable 86 service completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $6; 87 however, an eligible retiree or beneficiary may not receive a 88 subsidy payment of more than $180 or less than $36. For purposes 89 of determining a participant’s creditable service under this 90 subparagraph, a participant’s years of service credit or 91 fraction thereof must be based on the participant’s work year as 92 defined in s. 121.021. Credit shall be awarded for a full work 93 year whenever health insurance subsidy contributions are made 94 for each month in the participant’s work year. In addition, all 95 years of creditable service retained under the Florida 96 Retirement System defined benefit program must be included as 97 creditable service for purposes of this section. Notwithstanding 98 any other provision in this section, the spouse at the time of 99 death is the participant’s beneficiary unless the participant 100 has designated a different beneficiary after the participant’s 101 most recent marriage. 102 (h) Beginning January 1, 2012: 103 1. Each eligible retiree of the defined benefit program of 104 the Florida Retirement System or, if the retiree is deceased, 105 his or her beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from 106 the retiree’s account and who is a spouse or a person who meets 107 the definition of a joint annuitant in s. 121.021 shall receive 108 a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the 109 number of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021, 110 completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $7; however, 111 an eligible retiree or beneficiary may not receive a subsidy 112 payment of more than $210 or less than $42. If there are 113 multiple beneficiaries, the total payment may not be greater 114 than the payment to which the retiree was entitled. 115 Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, the spouse 116 at the time of death is the participant’s beneficiary unless the 117 participant has designated a different beneficiary after the 118 participant’s most recent marriage. The health insurance subsidy 119 amount payable to any person receiving the retiree health 120 insurance subsidy payment on January 1, 2010, may not be reduced 121 solely by operation of this subparagraph. 122 2. Each eligible participant of the Public Employee 123 Optional Retirement Program of the Florida Retirement System who 124 has met the requirements of this section or, if the participant 125 is deceased, his or her spouse who is the participant’s 126 designated beneficiary shall receive a monthly retiree health 127 insurance subsidy equal to the number of years of creditable 128 service, as defined in s. 121.021, completed at the time of 129 retirement multiplied by $7; however, an eligible retiree or 130 beneficiary may not receive a subsidy payment of more than $210 131 or less than $42. For purposes of determining a participant’s 132 creditable service, a participant’s years of service credit or 133 fraction thereof must be based on the participant’s work year as 134 defined in s. 121.021. Credit shall be awarded for a full work 135 year whenever health insurance subsidy contributions are made 136 for each month in the participant’s work year. In addition, all 137 years of creditable service retained under the Florida 138 Retirement System defined benefit program must be included as 139 creditable service for purposes of this section. Notwithstanding 140 any other provision in this section, the spouse at the time of 141 death is the participant’s beneficiary unless the participant 142 has designated a different beneficiary after the participant’s 143 most recent marriage. 144 (8) CONTRIBUTIONS.—For purposes of funding the insurance 145 subsidy provided by this section: 146 (a) Beginning October 1, 1987, the employer of each member 147 of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.24 148 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 149 (b) Beginning January 1, 1989, the employer of each member 150 of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.48 151 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 152 (c) Beginning January 1, 1994, the employer of each member 153 of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.56 154 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 155 (d) Beginning January 1, 1995, the employer of each member 156 of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.66 157 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 158 (e) Beginning July 1, 1998, the employer of each member of 159 a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 0.94 160 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 161 (f) Beginning July 1, 2001, the employer of each member of 162 a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.11 percent of gross 163 compensation each pay period. 164 (g) Beginning January 1, 2011, the employer of each member 165 of a state-administered retirement plan shall contribute 1.75 166 percent of gross compensation each pay period. 167 168 Such contributions shall be submitted to the Department of 169 Management Services and deposited in the Retiree Health 170 Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund. 171 Section 2. The Legislature finds that a proper and 172 legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees 173 of the state and the dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of 174 such employees and retirees are extended the basic protections 175 afforded by governmental retirement systems. These persons must 176 be provided benefits that are fair and adequate and that are 177 managed, administered, and funded in a sound actuarial manner, 178 as required by Section 14, Article X of the State Constitution 179 and part VII of chapter 112, Florida Statutes. Therefore, the 180 Legislature determines and declares that this act fulfills an 181 important state interest. 182 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.