Bill Text: NY A04989 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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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: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 28-13)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to governmental employees [A04989 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04989-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4989--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. WEPRIN, COLTON, BENEDETTO, FAHY, DiPIETRO, BRON-
          SON, WOERNER, SANTABARBARA, BRABENEC,  ROZIC,  DURSO,  SMITH,  STIRPE,
          CRUZ,  ZEBROWSKI,  JACOBSON,  DeSTEFANO,  STECK,  McDONALD, SHIMSKY --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. J. M. GIGLIO,  LAVINE,  McDONOUGH,  RA,
          RIVERA,  THIELE  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Govern-
          mental  Employees  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        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, who retired before, on or after the effective
     4  date of this act, and their dependents or the contributions such employ-
     5  er makes for such health insurance coverage  below  the  level  of  such
     6  benefits  or  contributions  made  on  behalf of such retirees and their
     7  dependents by such employer as of the retiree's date of retirement.  For
     8  the purpose of this act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i)
     9  the state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) any  governmental
    10  entity  operating  a college or university; (iv) a public improvement or
    11  special district including  police  or  fire  districts;  (v)  a  public
    12  authority,  commission  or public benefit corporation; or (vi) any other
    13  public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government  which
    14  exercises  governmental  power  under  the laws of this state.  The term
    15  public employer shall not include any school district, board of  cooper-
    16  ative educational services, or vocational education and extension board.
    17    §  2.  Nothing  contained  in this act shall supersede or diminish the
    18  terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
    19    § 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to  the
    20  contrary,  a  public  employer  shall be prohibited from diminishing the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08301-03-3
        A. 4989--A                          2

     1  health insurance benefits provided to  retirees  who  retire  after  the
     2  effective  date  of  this act from positions not subject to a collective
     3  bargaining agreement 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  active  employees  in
     6  such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement.
     7    §  4.  Nothing  contained  in this act shall require a public employer
     8  which does not provide health insurance benefits to retirees  and  their
     9  dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits.
    10    §  5.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
    11  have been in full force and effect on and after January 1, 2023.