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A4203Assembly2019-2020 SessionSame asS3854

Protect Retiree Health Benefits

Official title

“Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of certain public employee retirees”

Sponsor David WeprinAD-24+24 co-sponsorsAffects Finance
Status
In Assembly Committee
Governmental Employees
Impact
6/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Governmental Employees

What's happening

This bill prohibits most public employers in New York from reducing health insurance benefits or contributions for retired public employees and their dependents.

Why it matters

  1. Protects Retiree Benefits. The bill secures the health insurance benefits and employer contributions for retired public employees at the level they had when they retired, preventing reductions even as costs or policies change over time.

  2. Covers a Broad Range of Public Employers. It applies to most state and local government employers, including cities, counties, public authorities, and special districts, but specifically excludes school districts and related educational boards.

  3. Collective Bargaining Agreements Take Precedence. Existing or future collective bargaining agreements are not overridden or diminished by this law, ensuring unions and employers can still negotiate different terms if both parties agree.

  4. No New Mandate for Non-Providers. Public employers that do not currently offer retiree health insurance are not required to start offering such benefits—this law only freezes existing plans and contributions for those who already have them.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Protect Retiree Health Benefits

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
David Weprin

Assembly Member · Assembly District 24

Chair, Insurance

History

  1. Committed to governmental employees
  2. Referred to ways and means
  3. Reported referred to ways and means
  4. Referred to governmental employees

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.

S3854Senate

Protect Retiree Health Benefits

In Senate Committee · Civil Service And Pensions · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza

Impact 7 · Significant0% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

4203

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 1, 2019

Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, JAFFEE, COLTON, RAIA, BENEDETTO, FAHY, DiPIETRO, BRONSON, ORTIZ, WOERNER, SANTABARBARA, BRABENEC, ROZIC, MALLIOTAKIS, D'URSO, SMITH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABINANTI, DenDEKKER, ENGLEBRIGHT, GALEF, GIGLIO, GUNTHER, LAVINE, McDONOUGH, MONTESANO, PERRY, RA, RIVERA, THIELE, ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees

AN ACT to prohibit public employers from diminishing the health insurance benefits and contributions of certain retired public employees

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. On and after the effective date of this act, a public employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance benefits provided to retirees, who retired before, on or after the effective date of this act, 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 as of the retiree's date of retirement. For the purpose of this act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i) the state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) any governmental entity operating a college or university; (iv) a public improvement or special district including police or fire districts; (v) a public authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vi) any other public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government which exercises governmental power under the laws of this state. The term public employer shall not include any school district, board of cooperative educational services, or vocational education and extension board.

§ 2. Nothing contained in this act shall supersede or diminish the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

§ 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to the contrary, a public employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance benefits provided to retirees who retire after the

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD08418-01-9

A. 4203 2

effective date of this act from positions not subject to a collective bargaining agreement 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 active employees in such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement.

§ 4. Nothing contained in this act shall require a public employer which does not provide health insurance benefits to retirees and their dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits.

§ 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.