Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance from May 15, 2012 until May 15, 2013; defines public employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions.

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S916A-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS
• Dec 30, 2011: PRINT NUMBER 916A
• Dec 30, 2011: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO FINANCE
• Apr 13, 2011: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Mar 1, 2011: NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

S916A-2011 Votes

S916A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S916A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
in relation to affecting the health insurance benefits and contributions
of certain retired public employees

PURPOSE:
To protect all public employee retirees from decreases in health
insurance benefits.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill would prohibit a public employer from diminishing the health
insurance benefits or contributions provided on behalf of retirees
and their dependents unless there is a corresponding decrease for
active employees during th  period between May 15, 2012 and May 15,
2013. A public employer is defined as: (i) the state; (ii) a county,
city, town, village; (iii) a school district, a board of cooperative
educational services, vocational education and extension board or
school district;
(iv) any governmental entity operating a college or university; (v) a
public improvement or special district; (vi) a public authority,
commission or public benefit corporation; or, (vii) any other public
corporation, agency, or unit of government which exercises
governmental power.

JUSTIFICATION:
Public retirees are not represented in the collective bargaining
process. As a result, they have no control over a public employer's
decision to decrease their health insurance benefits. The impact of
such a unilateral decision can be devastating for a retired person
living on a fixed income. The law already provides such protection to
school district retirees. It is unfair to deny the same to all other
public retirees.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-10: S.380 Remained in Senate Committee on Civil Service & Pensions
2007-08: S.720 Remained in Senate Committee on Civil Service & Pensions

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately and deemed to have been in full force and effect on and
after May 15, 2012.

S916A-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                   916--A

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 5, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sens.  BRESLIN,  ADAMS,  DILAN, DUANE, HASSELL-THOMPSON,
    KLEIN, MONTGOMERY, OPPENHEIMER, PARKER, SAMPSON, SAVINO, SMITH, STAVI-
    SKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be  commit-
    ted to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions -- reported favora-
    bly  from  said committee and committed to the Committee on Finance --
    committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
    recommitted to said committee

  AN  ACT  in  relation  to  affecting  the  health insurance 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:


    Section 1. From on and after May 15, 2012 until May 15, 2013, a public
  employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance bene-
  fits provided to retirees and their dependents or the contributions such
  employer  makes  for  such  health insurance coverage below the level of
  such benefits or contributions made on behalf of such retirees and their
  dependents by such employer unless a corresponding diminution  of  bene-
  fits  or  contributions is effected from the appropriate level as of May
  15, 2012 during this period by  such  employer  from  the  corresponding
  group  of  active  employees  for such retirees. For the purpose of this
  act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i) the state;  (ii)  a
  county, city, town or village; (iii) a school district, board of cooper-
  ative  educational services, vocational education and extension board or
  a school district as enumerated in section 1 of chapter 566 of the  laws
  of 1967, as amended; (iv) any governmental entity operating a college or
  university;  (v) a public improvement or special district; (vi) a public
  authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vii) any  other
  public  corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government which
  exercises governmental power under the laws of this state.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  be  deemed  to
  have been in full force and effect on and after May 15, 2012.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD05130-02-1