Bill Text: NJ S1227 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits municipalities to offer prescription drug benefit to certain retired volunteer firefighters and other emergency aid volunteers.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee [S1227 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1227-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Permits municipalities to offer prescription drug benefit to certain retired volunteer firefighters and other emergency aid volunteers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning municipal insurance contracts for certain retired volunteer firefighters and amending N.J.S.40A:10-27 and N.J.S.40A:10-30.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.40A:10-27 is amended to read as follows:
40A:10-27. In addition to the insurance required pursuant to the provisions of chapter 15 of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes and the coverage provided in N.J.S.40A:10-26, the governing body of a municipality, in which an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance squad or squads exist rendering service generally throughout the municipality, may:
a. Effect and maintain group accidental death and dismemberment, hospitalization, medical, surgical, major medical expenses, or health and accident insurance with any insurance company authorized to do business in New Jersey, or with a nonprofit hospital service or medical service corporation with respect to the benefits which they are authorized to provide, which is determined to be necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the members of an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance squad;
b. (1) Effect and maintain a contract or contracts to provide drug prescription or other health care benefits which are determined to be necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the members of an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance squad;
(2) Effect and maintain a
contract to provide drug prescription benefits which are determined to be
necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the retired
members of an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance
squad residing within the municipality. For the purposes of this paragraph,
"retired member of an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue
or ambulance squad" means a person who receives ten or more years
of creditable service as a volunteer active member, any portion of which was
served after the adoption of an ordinance authorizing the contract, and who
shall have attained the age of 55 years. For the purposes of this paragraph,
no person shall be credited with any period of service rendered prior to the
person's attainment of the age of 18 years. An ordinance authorizing a contract
to provide drug prescription benefits for retired members shall set forth a methodology
for determining whether a year of service is creditable based on the
methodology set forth in subsections b. and d. of section 6 of P.L.1997, c.388
(C.40A:14-
188). No benefits shall be provided, or continue to be provided, under this
paragraph to any person who is eligible for drug prescription benefits under
the federal Medicare program or any other public or private drug prescription
coverage. Each year during the month following the month in which there occurs
the anniversary of a retired member's initial receipt of benefits under this
paragraph, the retired member shall submit to the governing body of the
municipality providing those benefits a signed statement, in a form as may be
prescribed by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the
Department of Community Affairs after consultation with the Director of the
Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury, attesting
to the person's continuing eligibility for coverage for the benefits. On or
before January 31 of each year, the governing body of any such municipality
shall, by resolution, certify to the Director of the Division of Local
Government Services the names of the persons who, during the preceding calendar
year, completed one year of service, for which credit for the purposes of this
paragraph was allowed, as a volunteer active member of an incorporated
volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance squad;
c. In the discretion of the governing body of the municipality, appropriate and pay all or any portion of the cost of such insurance or contract or both.
(cf: N.J.S.40A:10-27)
2. N.J.S.40A:10-30 is amended to read as follows:
40A:10-30. In addition to the insurance required pursuant to the provisions of chapter 15 of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes and the coverage provided in N.J.S.40A:10-29, a municipality maintaining a volunteer fire department or in which there are one or more incorporated volunteer fire companies may:
a. Effect and maintain group accidental death and dismemberment, hospitalization, medical, surgical, major medical expenses, or health and accident insurance with any insurance company authorized to do business in New Jersey, or with a nonprofit hospital service or medical service corporation with respect to the benefits which they are authorized to provide, which is determined to be necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the members of the volunteer fire department or the members of the incorporated volunteer fire companies;
b. (1) Effect and maintain a contract or contracts to provide drug prescription or other health care benefits which is determined to be necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the members of the volunteer fire department or members of an incorporated volunteer fire company;
(2) Effect and maintain a contract to provide drug prescription benefits which are determined to be necessary or desirable for the protection, safety and welfare of the retired members of the volunteer fire department or the retired members of an incorporated volunteer fire company, or both, residing within the municipality. For the purposes of this paragraph, "retired member of a volunteer fire department or of an incorporated volunteer fire company" means a person who receives ten or more years of creditable service as a volunteer active member, any portion of which was served after the adoption of an ordinance authorizing the contract, and who shall have attained the age of 55 years. For the purposes of this paragraph, no person shall be credited with any period of service rendered prior to the person's attainment of the age of 18 years. An ordinance authorizing a contract to provide drug prescription benefits for retired members shall set forth a methodology for determining whether a year of service is creditable based on the methodology set forth in subsection b. and d. of section 6 of P.L.1997, c.388 (C.40A:14-188). No benefits shall be provided, or continue to be provided, under this paragraph to any person who is eligible for drug prescription benefits under the federal Medicare program or any other public or private drug prescription coverage. Each year during the month following the month in which there occurs the anniversary of a retired member's initial receipt of benefits under this paragraph, the retired member shall submit to the governing body of the municipality providing those benefits a signed statement, in a form as may be prescribed by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs after consultation with the Director of the Division of Pensions in the Department of the Treasury, attesting to the person's continuing eligibility for coverage for the benefits. On or before January 31 of each year, the governing body of any such municipality shall, by resolution, certify to the Director of the Division of Local Government Services the names of the persons who, during the preceding calendar year, completed one year of service, for which credit for the purposes of this paragraph was allowed, as a member of a volunteer fire department or member of an incorporated volunteer fire company;
c. In the discretion of the governing body of the municipality, appropriate and pay all or any portion of the costs of such insurance or contract or both.
(cf: N.J.S.40A:10-30)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would permit a municipality to provide a prescription drug benefit for certain retired volunteer firefighters and volunteer members of an incorporated volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue or ambulance squad who reside in the municipality and who were active members of the volunteer squad or company for at least 10 years. Benefit coverage for qualified volunteers could not begin before age 55.
The benefits authorized to be provided under the bill could only be offered to current and future volunteers, not those who have retired prior to a municipality's decision to offer the benefit. An ordinance authorizing provision of the benefits for retired volunteers must set forth a methodology for determining whether a year of service is creditable based on the methodology set forth under the "Emergency Services Volunteer Length of Service Award Program Act".
The bill also requires a volunteer to be at least age 18 before accruing credit for service toward the service requirement, denies benefit coverage if, or terminates the coverage when, the volunteer is or becomes eligible for drug prescription benefits under Medicare, or under another public or private plan, and requires a municipality that adopts drug prescription coverage of qualified volunteers to certify annually the persons who completed a year of volunteer service in the prior year.
