Bill Text: NJ A4062 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Permits reimbursement of COBRA health benefit costs of survivors of certain deceased public safety employees; appropriates $750,000.**
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-06-15 - Reported from Assembly Comm. as a Substitute, 2nd Reading [A4062 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4062-Amended.html
ASSEMBLY, No. 4062
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 12, 2015
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman JOHN S. WISNIEWSKI
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman MARLENE CARIDE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Provides six months continuation of health care benefits to survivors of municipal police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician who dies within 24 hours of going off duty.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Labor Committee on March 19, 2015, with amendments.
An Act concerning 1[extended family] a limited continuation of1 health 1[coverage] care benefits1 for 1survivors of1 certain deceased 1municipal1 public safety employees 1[and] ,1 amending N.J.S.40A:10-17 and N.J.S.40A:10-20 1, and supplementing P.L.1961, c.49 (C.52:14-17.25 et seq.)1.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.40A:10-17 is amended to read as follows:
40A:10-17. Any local unit or agency thereof, herein referred to as employers, may:
a. Enter into contracts of group life, accidental death and dismemberment, hospitalization, dental, medical, surgical, major medical expense, or health and accident insurance with any insurance company or companies authorized to do business in this State, or may contract with a nonprofit hospital service or medical service or dental service corporation with respect to the benefits which they are authorized to provide respectively. The contract or contracts shall provide any one or more of such coverages for the employees of such employer and may include their dependents;
b. Enter into a contract or contracts to provide drug prescription and other health care benefits, or enter into a contract or contracts to provide drug prescription and other health care benefits as may be required to implement a duly executed collective negotiation agreement, or as may be required to implement a determination by a local unit to provide such benefit or benefits to employees not included in collective negotiations units;
c. Enter into a contract with an insurance company authorized to do business in this State to provide to its employees on a group or individual basis, individual retirement annuities, as defined by section 408(b) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended (26 U.S.C. s. 408(b)). The contract shall provide for coverage under these annuities of any employee of the employer and may provide for the establishment of annuities on behalf of the spouse of the employee.
d. Whenever a local unit enters into a contract with an insurance company to provide medical, drug, or other health care benefits to public safety employees who are employed as police officers, firefighters, or emergency medical technicians, it shall negotiate 1, and pay the premium or periodic charges in full for,1 a benefit that provides 1for a continuation for1 six 1full calendar1 months of 1[post-death coverage to] such benefits that are in effect at the time of death for1 the surviving 1[spouse and]1 dependents of a 1[public safety employee whose cause of death was not in the line of duty, and] police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician1 who 1[had elected family coverage] dies within 24 hours of going off duty1.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize coverage of dependents of an employee under a group life insurance policy or to allow the issuance of a group life insurance policy under which the entire premium is to be derived from funds contributed by the insured employees.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.445, s.2)
2. N.J.S.40A:10-20 is amended to read as follows:
40A:10-20. a. The coverage of any employee, and of his dependents, if any, shall cease upon the discontinuance of his employment or upon cessation of active full-time employment in the classes eligible for coverage subject to such provision as may be made in any contract by his employer for limited continuance of coverage during disability, part-time employment, leave of absence other than leave for military service or layoff, and for continuance of coverage after retirement.
b. 1[Medical] Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section, medical1, drug, or other health care coverage for the surviving 1[spouse and]1 dependents of a 1[deceased public safety officer employee who served as a]1 police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician 1[for the employer] who dies within 24 hours of going off duty1 shall continue for six full calendar months following the death of the 1[employee, notwithstanding that the death was not in the line of duty, provided that the public safety officer employee had family medical insurance coverage at the time of death. The employer may require the surviving spouse and dependents to pay the cost of the insurance premium for the six-month coverage period at the same contribution rate as charged to the employee at the time of death. This shall include coverage under the State Health Benefits Program] police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician1.
(cf: N.J.S.40A:10-20)
13. (New section) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a participating municipal employer of a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician who dies within 24 hours of going off duty shall pay the premium or periodic charges in full for six full calendar months for a continuation of all coverages provided to the surviving dependents of the employee under section 5 of P.L.1961, c.49 (C.52:14-17.29) of the State Health Benefits Program which are in effect at the time of death.1
1[3.] 4.1 This act shall take effect 1[immediately] on the 90th day after the date of enactment1.
