Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01220 Compare Versions

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5-General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1220
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66 January Session, 2025
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10+Referred to Committee on LABOR AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
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1019 AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH BENEFITS FOR STATE MARSHALS.
1120 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
1221 Assembly convened:
1322
1423 Section 1. Subsections (a) to (l), inclusive, of section 5-259 of the 1
1524 general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
1625 thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 3
1726 (a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 4
1827 of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 5
1928 hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for (1) 6
2029 state employees, (2) members of the General Assembly who elect 7
2130 coverage under such plan or plans, (3) participants in an alternate 8
2231 retirement program who meet the service requirements of section 5-162 9
2332 or subsection (a) of section 5-166, (4) anyone receiving benefits under 10
2433 section 5-144 or from any state-sponsored retirement system, except the 11
2534 teachers' retirement system and the municipal employees retirement 12
2635 system, (5) judges of probate and Probate Court employees, (6) the 13
2736 surviving spouse, and any dependent children of a state police officer, a 14
2837 member of an organized local police department, a firefighter or a 15
2938 constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies 16
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3045 before, on or after June 26, 2003, as the result of injuries received while 17
3146 acting within the scope of such officer's or firefighter's or constable's 18
3247 employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and whose 19
33-surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for 20 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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48+surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for 20
3849 a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan. 21
3950 Coverage for a dependent child pursuant to this subdivision shall 22
4051 terminate no earlier than the end of the calendar year during whichever 23
4152 of the following occurs first, the date on which the child: Becomes 24
4253 covered under a group health plan through the dependent's own 25
4354 employment; or attains the age of twenty-six, (7) employees of the 26
4455 Capital Region Development Authority established by section 32-601, 27
4556 [and] (8) the surviving spouse and dependent children of any employee 28
4657 of a municipality who dies on or after October 1, 2000, as the result of 29
4758 injuries received while acting within the scope of such employee's 30
4859 employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and whose 31
4960 surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for 32
5061 a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan, and 33
5162 (9) state marshals. For purposes of [this] subdivision (8) of this 34
5263 subsection, "employee" means any regular employee or elective officer 35
5364 receiving pay from a municipality, "municipality" means any town, city, 36
5465 borough, school district, taxing district, fire district, district department 37
5566 of health, probate district, housing authority, regional workforce 38
5667 development board established under section 31-3k, flood commission 39
5768 or authority established by special act or regional council of 40
5869 governments. For purposes of subdivision (6) of this subsection, 41
5970 "firefighter" means any person who is regularly employed and paid by 42
6071 any municipality for the purpose of performing firefighting duties for a 43
6172 municipality on average of not less than thirty-five hours per week. The 44
6273 minimum benefits to be provided by such plan or plans shall be 45
6374 substantially equal in value to the benefits that each such employee or 46
6475 member of the General Assembly could secure in such plan or plans on 47
6576 an individual basis on the preceding first day of July. The state shall pay 48
6677 for each such employee and each member of the General Assembly 49
6778 covered by such plan or plans the portion of the premium charged for 50
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6885 such member's or employee's individual coverage and seventy per cent 51
6986 of the additional cost of the form of coverage and such amount shall be 52
7087 credited to the total premiums owed by such employee or member of 53
7188 the General Assembly for the form of such member's or employee's 54
72-coverage under such plan or plans. On and after January 1, 1989, the 55 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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89+coverage under such plan or plans. On and after January 1, 1989, the 55
7790 state shall pay for anyone receiving benefits from any such state-56
7891 sponsored retirement system one hundred per cent of the portion of the 57
7992 premium charged for such member's or employee's individual coverage 58
8093 and one hundred per cent of any additional cost for the form of 59
8194 coverage. The balance of any premiums payable by an individual 60
8295 employee or by a member of the General Assembly for the form of 61
8396 coverage shall be deducted from the payroll by the State Comptroller. 62
8497 The total premiums payable shall be remitted by the Comptroller to the 63
8598 insurance company or companies or nonprofit organization or 64
8699 organizations providing the coverage. The amount of the state's 65
87100 contribution per employee for a health maintenance organization option 66
88101 shall be equal, in terms of dollars and cents, to the largest amount of the 67
89102 contribution per employee paid for any other option that is available to 68
90103 all eligible state employees included in the health benefits plan, but shall 69
91104 not be required to exceed the amount of the health maintenance 70
92105 organization premium. 71
93106 (b) The insurance coverage procured under subsection (a) of this 72
94107 section for active state employees, employees of the Connecticut 73
95108 Institute for Municipal Studies, anyone receiving benefits from any such 74
96109 state-sponsored retirement system, [and] members of the General 75
97110 Assembly and state marshals, who are over sixty-five years of age, may 76
98111 be modified to reflect benefits available to such employees or members 77
99112 pursuant to Social Security and medical benefits programs administered 78
100113 by the federal government, provided any payments required to secure 79
101114 such benefits administered by the federal government shall be paid by 80
102115 the Comptroller either directly to the employee or members or to the 81
103116 agency of the federal government authorized to collect such payments. 82
104117 (c) On October 1, 1972, the Comptroller shall continue to afford 83
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105124 payroll deduction services for employees participating in existing 84
106125 authorized plans covering state employees until such time as the 85
107126 employee elects in writing to be covered by the plan authorized by 86
108127 subsection (a) of this section. 87
109-(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 88 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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128+(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 88
114129 the state shall pay for a member of any such state-sponsored retirement 89
115130 system, or a participant in an alternate retirement program who meets 90
116131 the service requirements of section 5-162 or subsection (a) of section 5-91
117132 166, and who begins receiving benefits from such system or program on 92
118133 or after November 1, 1989, eighty per cent of the portion of the premium 93
119134 charged for his individual coverage and eighty per cent of any 94
120135 additional cost for his form of coverage. Upon the death of any such 95
121136 member, any surviving spouse of such member who begins receiving 96
122137 benefits from such system shall be eligible for coverage under this 97
123138 section and the state shall pay for any such spouse eighty per cent of the 98
124139 portion of the premium charged for his individual coverage and eighty 99
125140 per cent of any additional cost for his form of coverage. 100
126141 (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 101
127142 vending stand operators eligible for membership in the state employees 102
128143 retirement system pursuant to section 5-175a shall be eligible for 103
129144 coverage under the group hospitalization and medical and surgical 104
130145 insurance plans procured under this section, provided the cost for such 105
131146 operators' insurance coverage shall be paid by the Department of Aging 106
132147 and Disability Services from vending machine income pursuant to 107
133148 section 17a-818. 108
134149 (f) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 109
135150 of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 110
136151 hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for any 111
137152 person who adopts a child from the state foster care system, any person 112
138153 who has been a foster parent for the Department of Children and 113
139154 Families for six months or more, and any dependent of such adoptive 114
140155 parent or foster parent who elects coverage under such plan or plans. 115
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141162 The Comptroller may also arrange for inclusion of such person and any 116
142163 such dependent in an existing group hospitalization and medical and 117
143164 surgical insurance plan offered by the state. Any adoptive parent or 118
144165 foster parent and any dependent who elects coverage shall pay one 119
145166 hundred per cent of the premium charged for such coverage directly to 120
146167 the insurer, provided such adoptive parent or foster parent and all such 121
147-dependents shall be included in such group hospitalization and medical 122 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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168+dependents shall be included in such group hospitalization and medical 122
152169 and surgical insurance plan. A person and his dependents electing 123
153170 coverage pursuant to this subsection shall be eligible for such coverage 124
154171 until no longer an adoptive parent or a foster parent. An adoptive parent 125
155172 shall be eligible for such coverage until the coverage anniversary date 126
156173 on or after whichever of the following occurs first, the date on which the 127
157174 child: Becomes covered under a group health plan through the 128
158175 dependent's own employment; or attains the age of twenty-six. As used 129
159176 in this section "dependent" means a spouse or natural or adopted child 130
160177 if such child is wholly or partially dependent for support upon the 131
161178 adoptive parent or foster parent. 132
162179 (g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 133
163180 the Probate Court Administration Fund established in accordance with 134
164181 section 45a-82, shall pay for each probate judge and each probate court 135
165182 employee not more than one hundred per cent of the portion of the 136
166183 premium charged for the judge's or employee's individual coverage and 137
167184 not more than seventy per cent of any additional cost for the judge's or 138
168185 employee's form of coverage. The remainder of the premium for such 139
169186 coverage shall be paid by the probate judge or probate court employee 140
170187 to the State Treasurer. Payment shall be credited by the State Treasurer 141
171188 to the fund established by section 45a-82. The total premiums payable 142
172189 shall be remitted by the Probate Court Administrator directly to the 143
173190 insurance company or companies or nonprofit organization or 144
174191 organizations providing the coverage. The Probate Court Administrator 145
175192 shall issue regulations governing group hospitalization and medical 146
176193 and surgical insurance pursuant to subsection (b) of section 45a-77. 147
177194 (h) For the purpose of subsection (g) of this section, "probate judge" 148
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178201 or "judge" means a duly elected probate judge who works in such 149
179202 judge's capacity as a probate judge at least twenty hours per week, on 150
180203 average, on a quarterly basis and certifies to that fact on forms provided 151
181204 by and filed with the Probate Court Administrator, on or before the 152
182205 fifteenth day of April, July, October and January, for the preceding 153
183206 calendar quarter; and "probate court employee" or "employee" means a 154
184-person employed by a probate court for at least twenty hours per week. 155 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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207+person employed by a probate court for at least twenty hours per week. 155
189208 (i) The Comptroller may provide for coverage of employees of 156
190209 municipalities, nonprofit corporations, community action agencies and 157
191210 small employers and individuals eligible for a health coverage tax 158
192211 credit, retired members or members of an association for personal care 159
193212 assistants under the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) of this 160
194213 section, provided: (1) Participation by each municipality, nonprofit 161
195214 corporation, community action agency, small employer, eligible 162
196215 individual, retired member or association for personal care assistants 163
197216 shall be on a voluntary basis; (2) where an employee organization 164
198217 represents employees of a municipality, nonprofit corporation, 165
199218 community action agency or small employer, participation in a plan or 166
200219 plans to be procured under subsection (a) of this section shall be by 167
201220 mutual agreement of the municipality, nonprofit corporation, 168
202221 community action agency or small employer and the employee 169
203222 organization only and neither party may submit the issue of 170
204223 participation to binding arbitration except by mutual agreement if such 171
205224 binding arbitration is available; (3) no group of employees shall be 172
206225 refused entry into the plan by reason of past or future health care costs 173
207226 or claim experience; (4) rates paid by the state for its employees under 174
208227 subsection (a) of this section are not adversely affected by this 175
209228 subsection; (5) administrative costs to the plan or plans provided under 176
210229 this subsection shall not be paid by the state; (6) participation in the plan 177
211230 or plans in an amount determined by the state shall be for the duration 178
212231 of the period of the plan or plans, or for such other period as mutually 179
213232 agreed by the municipality, nonprofit corporation, community action 180
214233 agency, small employer, retired member or association for personal care 181
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215240 assistants and the Comptroller; and (7) nothing in this section or section 182
216241 12-202a, 38a-551 or 38a-556 shall be construed as requiring a 183
217242 participating insurer or health care center to issue individual policies to 184
218243 individuals eligible for a health coverage tax credit. The coverage 185
219244 provided under this section may be referred to as the "Municipal 186
220245 Employee Health Insurance Plan". The Comptroller may arrange and 187
221246 procure for the employees and eligible individuals under this subsection 188
222247 health benefit plans that vary from the plan or plans procured under 189
223-subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding any provision of part V 190 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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248+subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding any provision of part V 190
228249 of chapter 700c, the coverage provided under this subsection may be 191
229250 offered on either a fully underwritten or risk-pooled basis at the 192
230251 discretion of the Comptroller. For the purposes of this subsection, (A) 193
231252 "municipality" means any town, city, borough, school district, taxing 194
232253 district, fire district, district department of health, probate district, 195
233254 housing authority, regional workforce development board established 196
234255 under section 31-3k, regional emergency telecommunications center, 197
235256 tourism district established under section 32-302, flood commission or 198
236257 authority established by special act, regional council of governments, 199
237258 transit district formed under chapter 103a, or the Children's Center 200
238259 established by number 571 of the public acts of 1969; (B) "nonprofit 201
239260 corporation" means (i) a nonprofit corporation organized under 26 USC 202
240261 501 that has a contract with the state or receives a portion of its funding 203
241262 from a municipality, the state or the federal government, or (ii) an 204
242263 organization that is tax exempt pursuant to 26 USC 501(c)(5); (C) 205
243264 "community action agency" means a community action agency, as 206
244265 defined in section 17b-885; (D) "small employer" means a small 207
245266 employer, as defined in section 38a-564; (E) "eligible individuals" or 208
246267 "individuals eligible for a health coverage tax credit" means individuals 209
247268 who are eligible for the credit for health insurance costs under Section 210
248269 35 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent 211
249270 corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time 212
250271 to time amended, in accordance with the Pension Benefit Guaranty 213
251272 Corporation; (F) "association for personal care assistants" means an 214
252273 organization composed of personal care attendants who are employed 215
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253280 by recipients of service (i) under the home-care program for the elderly 216
254281 under section 17b-342, (ii) under the personal care assistance program 217
255282 under section 17b-605a, (iii) in an independent living center pursuant to 218
256283 sections 17a-792 to 17a-794, inclusive, or (iv) under the program for 219
257284 individuals with acquired brain injury as described in section 17b-260a; 220
258285 and (G) "retired members" means individuals eligible for a retirement 221
259286 benefit from the Connecticut municipal employees' retirement system. 222
260287 (j) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the 223
261-existing rights and obligations of state employee organizations and the 224 Substitute Bill No. 1220
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288+existing rights and obligations of state employee organizations and the 224
266289 state employer under current law and contract shall not be impaired by 225
267290 the provisions of this section. (2) Other conditions of entry for any group 226
268291 into the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) of this section shall 227
269292 be determined by the Comptroller upon the recommendation of a 228
270293 coalition committee established pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-229
271294 278, except for such conditions referenced in subsection (g) of this 230
272295 section. (3) Additional determinations by the Comptroller on (A) issues 231
273296 generated by any group's actual or contemplated participation in the 232
274297 plan or plans, (B) modifications to the terms and conditions of any 233
275298 group's continued participation, (C) related matters shall be made upon 234
276299 the recommendation of such committee. (4) Notwithstanding any 235
277300 provision of law to the contrary, a municipal employer and an employee 236
278301 organization may upon mutual agreement reopen a collective 237
279302 bargaining agreement for the exclusive purpose of negotiating on the 238
280303 participation by such municipal employer or employee organization in 239
281304 the plan or plans offered under the provisions of this section. 240
282305 (k) The Comptroller shall submit annually to the General Assembly a 241
283306 review of the coverage of employees of municipalities, nonprofit 242
284307 corporations, community action agencies, small employers under 243
285308 subsection (i) of this section and eligible individuals under subsection 244
286309 (i) of this section beginning February 1, 2004. 245
287310 (l) (1) Effective July 1, 1996, any deputies or special deputies 246
288311 appointed pursuant to section 6-37 of the general statutes, revision of 247
312+Raised Bill No. 1220
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289318 1958, revised to 1999, or section 6-43, shall be allowed to participate in 248
290319 the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection 249
291320 (a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary and the 250
292321 participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such plan. 251
293322 (2) (A) Effective [December 1, 2000] October 1, 2025, any state marshal 252
294-who works as a state marshal for fewer than twenty hours per week, on 253
295-average, shall be allowed to participate in the plan or plans procured by 254
296-the Comptroller pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such 255
297-participation shall be voluntary and the participant shall pay the full 256
298-cost of the coverage under such plan. 257 Substitute Bill No. 1220
323+who works in such state marshal's capacity as a state marshal for less 253
324+than twenty hours per week, on average, shall be allowed to participate 254
325+in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection 255
326+(a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary and the 256
327+participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such plan. 257
328+(B) Effective October 1, 2025, any state marshal who (i) works in such 258
329+marshal's capacity as a state marshal at least twenty hours per week, on 259
330+average, on a quarterly basis, and (ii) is actively engaged in either (I) 260
331+service of process under a waiver of fees issued pursuant to section 52-261
332+259b, (II) service of process of orders of protection issued pursuant to 262
333+section 46b-15 or 46b-16a, or (III) service of capias mittimus orders 263
334+issued by a family support magistrate pursuant to section 46b-231, (iii) 264
335+certifies to those facts in clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph on 265
336+forms provided by and filed with the State Marshal Commission on or 266
337+before the fifteenth day of April, July, October and January for the 267
338+preceding calendar quarter, and (iv) does not have access to coverage 268
339+under a health benefit plan that is available (I) through the employer of 269
340+such state marshal's spouse and has an actuarial value that is equivalent 270
341+to the actuarial value of the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller 271
342+pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, or (II) through the municipal 272
343+employees' retirement system established by part II of chapter 113 shall 273
344+be allowed to participate in the plan or plans procured by the 274
345+Comptroller pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such 275
346+participation shall be voluntary and the participant shall pay the same 276
347+amount for the coverage under such plan under the same terms and 277
348+conditions as active state employees in accordance with the provisions 278
349+of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition agreement. 279
350+Raised Bill No. 1220
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303-(B) Effective October 1, 2025, any state marshal who (i) works as a 258
304-state marshal at least twenty hours per week, on average, on a quarterly 259
305-basis, (ii) is actively engaged in either (I) service of process under a 260
306-waiver of fees issued pursuant to section 52-259b, (II) service of process 261
307-of orders of protection issued pursuant to section 46b-15 or 46b-16a, or 262
308-(III) service of capias mittimus orders issued by a family support 263
309-magistrate pursuant to section 46b-231, (iii) certifies to those facts in 264
310-clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph on forms provided by and filed 265
311-with the State Marshal Commission on or before the fifteenth day of 266
312-April, July, October and January for the preceding calendar quarter, and 267
313-(iv) does not have access to coverage under a health benefit plan that is 268
314-available (I) through the employer of such state marshal's spouse and 269
315-has an actuarial value that is equivalent to the actuarial value of the plan 270
316-or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection (a) of this 271
317-section, or (II) through the municipal employees' retirement system 272
318-established by part II of chapter 113 shall be allowed to participate in 273
319-the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection 274
320-(a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary and the 275
321-participant shall pay the same amount for the coverage under such plan 276
322-under the same terms and conditions as active state employees in 277
323-accordance with the provisions of the State Employees Bargaining 278
324-Agent Coalition agreement. 279
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325356 (3) Effective December 1, 2000, any judicial marshal shall be allowed 280
326357 to participate in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant 281
327358 to subsection (a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary 282
328359 and the participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such 283
329360 plan unless and until the judicial marshals participate in the plan or 284
330361 plans procured by the Comptroller under this section through collective 285
331362 bargaining negotiations pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-278. 286
332363 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
333364 sections:
334365
335366 Section 1 October 1, 2025 5-259(a) to (l)
336- Substitute Bill No. 1220
337367
368+Statement of Purpose:
369+To provide certain state marshals with medical insurance benefits in the
370+same manner as other state employees.
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341-Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
342-Subsec. (l)(2)(A) and (B) were rewritten for clarity and accuracy.
343-
344-LAB Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
372+[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
373+that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
374+underlined.]
345375