Bill Text: NY A05455 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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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 27-10)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-04-23 - print number 5455a [A05455 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A05455-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5455
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 9, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. WEPRIN, BRINDISI, JAFFEE, TITONE, COLTON, RAIA,
          BENEDETTO, FAHY, KEARNS, SKOUFIS, DiPIETRO, BRONSON,  ORTIZ,  WOERNER,
          SANTABARBARA,  BRABENEC,  ROZIC  --  Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M. of A.
          ABINANTI,  DenDEKKER,  ENGLEBRIGHT,  GALEF,  GIGLIO,  GRAF,   GUNTHER,
          LAVINE,  MAYER,  McDONOUGH,  MONTESANO,  PERRY, RA, RIVERA, SKARTADOS,
          THIELE, ZEBROWSKI -- read  once  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
          Governmental Employees
        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    § 2. Nothing contained in this act shall  supersede  or  diminish  the
    19  terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09559-01-7
        A. 5455                             2
     1    §  3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to the
     2  contrary, a public employer shall be  prohibited  from  diminishing  the
     3  health  insurance  benefits  provided  to  retirees who retire after the
     4  effective date of this act from positions not subject  to  a  collective
     5  bargaining  agreement  and  their  dependents, or the contributions such
     6  employer makes for such health insurance coverage, below  the  level  of
     7  such  benefits  or  contributions  made on behalf of active employees in
     8  such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement.
     9    § 4. Nothing contained in this act shall  require  a  public  employer
    10  which  does  not provide health insurance benefits to retirees and their
    11  dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits.
    12    § 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    13  have become a law.