What's happening
This bill prohibits public employers in New York from reducing health insurance benefits or contributions for certain retired police and fire employees.
Why it matters
Protects Retiree Health Benefits Stability. By locking in the health insurance benefits and employer contributions at the levels in place on the law’s effective date, this bill provides retired police and fire employees with greater financial and health security, guarding against future cuts that could impact their well-being.
Broad Definition of Public Employer. The bill covers a wide range of public employers—including state and local governments, school districts, public authorities, fire and police districts, and public benefit corporations—making its protections comprehensive and far-reaching for eligible retirees.
Targets Specific Retiree Groups. Only retirees from the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System, the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System (if retired from police or fire service), and certain New York City Fire Department retirees are covered, focusing the bill’s impact on those who served in high-risk public safety roles.
Respects Existing Labor Agreements. The bill explicitly states it does not override or reduce the terms of collective bargaining agreements, ensuring that negotiated retiree benefits are preserved or can even be improved upon if agreed to by unions and employers.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Retiree Health Benefits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to civil service and pensions
- Referred to civil service and pensions
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2284
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
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 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 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 effective date of this act. For the purpose of this act, (1) "public employer" shall mean the following: (i) the state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) a school district, board of cooperative 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 including police or fire districts; (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; and (2) "retiree" shall mean a retiree of the New York state and local police and fire retirement system or the New York state and local employees' retirement system who retires from police service or fire service that qualifies under subdivision 11 of section 302 of the retirement and social security law or a retiree of the New York city fire department pension fund who was represented by the collective bargaining unit of Local 854, I.A.F.F.
§ 2. Nothing contained in this act shall supersede or diminish the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07151-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act in relation to affecting the health insurance benefits and contributions of certain retired public employees
Purpose
THIS BILL WOULD ENSURE THAT THE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND THEIR DEPENDENTS ARE MAIN- TAINED.
Summary of provisions
SECTION ONE PROVIDES THAT THE LEVEL OF HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS, AND THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TOWARD SUCH HEALTH INSURANCE, FOR CERTAIN RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, AND THEIR DEPENDENTS SHALL NOT BE DIMINISHED BELOW THE BENEFITS. AND CONTRIBUTIONS IN PLACE AS OF MAY 1, 2008.
SECTION TWO PROVIDES THAT A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT MAY GRANT A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
SECTION THREE IS THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
Existing law
NONE
Justification
OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AS TRUE HEROES WHO PLACE THEMSELVES IN DANGER TO PROTECT THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS. PART OF SOCIETY'S OBLIGATION TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE TO ASSURE THEM OF ADEQUATE HEALTH INSURANCE, BOTH DURING THEIR WORKING YEARS AND INTO RETIREMENT. ALTHOUGH SOME OTHER RETIREES, SUCH AS RETI- REES FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES, ARE AFFORDED HEALTH INSURANCE PROTECTION BY STATUTE (SEE CHAPTER 729, LAWS OF 1994, AS AMENDED), THERE IS NO STATUTORY PROTECTION FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS. THIS BILL WOULD CORRECT THAT OMISSION.
Legislative history
02/04/15 REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS
05/04/15 1ST REPORT CAL.509
05/05/15 2ND REPORT CAL.
05/06/15 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
06/25/15 COMMITTED TO RULES
01/06/16 REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS
Fiscal implications
NO NEW COSTS TO STATE GOVERNMENT. THIS LEGISLATION SIMPLY CONTINUES THE BENEFITS AND EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS BEING MADE AS OF MAY 1, 2008.
Local fiscal implications
NONE
Effective date
IMMEDIATELY
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.