Prohibits the unilateral diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance from May 1, 2008 until May 15, 2009; defines employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5270
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 11, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CROUCH, McKEVITT, TOWNSEND, WALKER, McDONOUGH --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, BURLING, GIGLIO -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
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:
1 Section 1. From on and after May 1, 2008 until May 15, 2009, 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 unless a corresponding diminution of bene-
7 fits or contributions is effected from the appropriate level as of May
8 1, 2008 during this period by such employer from the corresponding group
9 of active employees for such retirees. For the purpose of this act,
10 "public employer" shall mean the following: (i) the state; (ii) a coun-
11 ty, city, town or village; (iii) a school district, board of cooperative
12 educational services, vocational education and extension board or a
13 school district as enumerated in section 1 of chapter 566 of the laws of
14 1967, as amended; (iv) any governmental entity operating a college or
15 university; (v) a public improvement or special district; (vi) a public
16 authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vii) any other
17 public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government which
18 exercises governmental power under the laws of this state.
19 § 2. Nothing contained in this act shall supersede or diminish the
20 terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
22 have been in full force and effect on and after May 1, 2008.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04070-02-9
