What's happening
This bill allows public libraries, urban renewal agencies, and certain quasi-governmental organizations to join municipal cooperative health benefit plans.
Why it matters
Expands access to municipal health benefit plans. to a wider range of public-serving organizations (including public libraries, urban renewal agencies, and qualifying quasi-governmental entities), which could help these organizations control healthcare costs and offer better employee benefits.
Strengthens the financial stability and bargaining power. of municipal cooperative health plans by increasing their pool of participants, potentially leading to lower premiums or more comprehensive coverage due to greater risk-sharing.
Promotes equity among publicly funded entities. , ensuring that employees of public libraries and similar organizations have access to the same types of health benefits as those in traditional municipal roles, which can help with staff recruitment and retention.
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Who cares
Public libraries
The bill would make them eligible to join municipal cooperative health benefit plans.
Urban renewal agencies
The bill would allow them to join municipal cooperative health benefit plans.
Other locally created quasi-governmental organizations
Those created by and receiving at least 50 percent of their funding from a general purpose local government would become eligible to join municipal cooperative health benefit plans.
Municipal cooperative health benefit plans
The bill would expand the types of entities eligible to join them.
Headline styles
Expand Health Plan Access
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to insurance
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1983
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Health Plans Access
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Barbara Lifton
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8965
IN SENATE
June 8, 2018
Introduced by Sens. SEWARD, HELMING, O'MARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to municipal cooperative health benefit plans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision b of section 119-n of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 191 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
b. The term "district" means a county or town improvement district for which the county or town or towns in which such district is located is or are required to pledge its or their faith and credit for the payment of the principal of and interest on all indebtedness to be contracted for the purposes of such district. The term "district" shall also mean, for the purposes of joining a municipal cooperative health benefit plan authorized under article forty-seven of the insurance law, a soil and water conservation district established under the soil and water conservation districts law, public libraries and urban renewal agencies, and other quasi-governmental organizations created by, and receiving at least fifty percent of their funding from, a general purpose local government.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16223-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to municipal cooperative health benefit plans
Purpose
This bill would expand participation in municipal cooperative health benefit plans to public libraries, urban renewal agencies and quasi-go- vernment organizations.
Summary of provisions
Section one would amend subdivision b of section 119-n of the general municipal law to allow public libraries, urban renewal agencies, and other quasi-governmental organizations, created by, and receiving at least 50% of their funding from a general purpose local government to join a municipal cooperative health benefit plan.
Section two establishes the effective date.
Justification
Article 47 establishes Municipal Health Cooperative Health Benefit Plans to provide a mechanism for municipalities to band together to collec- tively purchase health insurance and prescription drug coverage at a reasonable rate for their covered employees and retirees. In 2010, the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium was estab- lished, making this the first municipal cooperative health benefit plan to be created since Article 47 was enacted in 1993. Currently, the only entities eligible to participate in municipal cooperative health benefit plans are local governments outside of New York City, BOCES, school districts, business improvement districts or a soil and water conserva- tion district. This bill would allow public libraries, urban renewal agencies, and other quasi-governmental organizations, created by, and receiving at least 50% of their funding from a general purpose local government to join with other consortium members as a means of purchas- ing lower cost health insurance for its employees. These entities typi- cally have to purchase expensive community rated plans. By allowing them to join the Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium these entities would save approximately 35 percent in premium costs, freeing up more funds for the services they provide the community.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.