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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7010
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING PARAEDUCATORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 203 of public act 23-204, as amended by section 124 1
of public act 24-81, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 3
(a) As used in this section: 4
(1) "Health benefit plan" has the same meaning as provided in section 5
38a-1080 of the general statutes, and 6
(2) "Partnership plan" has the same meaning as provided in section 3-7
123aaa of the general statutes. 8
(b) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, [and June 30, 2025] to 9
June 30, 2027, inclusive, the Comptroller shall establish a program to 10
provide a subsidy, within available appropriations, to each 11
paraeducator who (1) opens a health savings account, pursuant to 12
Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent 13
corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended 14
from time to time, or is eligible for Medicare and enrolls in a high 15
deductible health plan, and (2) is employed by a local or regional board 16
of education. Such subsidy shall be in an amount up to a certain 17 Substitute Bill No. 7010
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percentage, as specified by the Comptroller, of the deductible for the 18
health plan in which such paraeducator is enrolled, minus the amount 19
of any employer contributions to a health savings account or health 20
reimbursement account, and not exceeding an amount specified by the 21
Comptroller. No paraeducator may receive more than one subsidy in 22
any fiscal year pursuant to this section. The Comptroller may work with 23
the local or regional board of education that employs such paraeducator 24
to distribute such subsidy. 25
(c) For the fiscal [year] years ending June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2027, 26
inclusive, the Comptroller shall establish a program to provide a 27
subsidy, from any funds appropriated for such purpose, to each local or 28
regional board of education that provides coverage to paraeducators 29
and their dependents under a health benefit plan or a partnership plan 30
for such fiscal year or any portion thereof. Such subsidy shall be (1) in 31
an amount not more than ten per cent of the aggregate premium cost, 32
inclusive of the employee and employer shares, paid by such board of 33
education for coverage under such health benefit plan or partnership 34
plan, divided by the number of paraeducators employed by such board 35
of education and enrolled in health coverage, and (2) used to offset the 36
employee's share of such premium that is deducted from the payroll 37
check of each paraeducator employed by such board of education 38
during any pay period during such fiscal year. The provisions of this 39
subsection shall not apply to a local or regional board of education that 40
provides coverage under a high deductible health plan, as that term is 41
used in subsection (f) of section 38a-520 of the general statutes. 42
(d) The Comptroller and the Commissioner of Education shall enter 43
into a memorandum of understanding, in accordance with the 44
provisions of section 4-97b of the general statutes, to allow the 45
Comptroller to utilize the sum of $5,000,000 that is appropriated to the 46
Department of Education for assistance to paraeducators pursuant to 47
section 1 of public act 23-204 to implement the provisions of this section. 48
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) Notwithstanding any 49
provision of the general statutes, each local and regional board of 50 Substitute Bill No. 7010
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education shall pay for each paraeducator employed by such board the 51
full employee contribution required pursuant to the municipal 52
employees' retirement system or any other retirement system in which 53
such board participates, provided such payment shall not exceed the 54
amount of the full employee contribution required pursuant to the 55
municipal employees' retirement system. 56
(b) The Comptroller shall annually pay to each local or regional board 57
of education not less than fifty per cent of the cost to such board for the 58
payment of the employee contribution for retirement benefits pursuant 59
to subsection (a) of this section. 60
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 PA 23-204, Sec. 203
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section
ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP