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Raised Bill No. 1526
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4808
Referred to Committee on APPROPRIATIONS
Introduced by:
(APP)
AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR STATE
MARSHALS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsections (a) to (l), inclusive, of section 5-259 of the 1
general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 3
(a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 4
of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 5
hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for (1) 6
state employees, (2) members of the General Assembly who elect 7
coverage under such plan or plans, (3) participants in an alternate 8
retirement program who meet the service requirements of section 5-162 9
or subsection (a) of section 5-166, (4) anyone receiving benefits under 10
section 5-144 or from any state-sponsored retirement system, except the 11
teachers' retirement system and the municipal employees retirement 12
system, (5) judges of probate and Probate Court employees, (6) the 13
surviving spouse, and any dependent children of a state police officer, a 14
member of an organized local police department, a firefighter or a 15
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constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties who dies 16
before, on or after June 26, 2003, as the result of injuries received while 17
acting within the scope of such officer's or firefighter's or constable's 18
employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and whose 19
surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for 20
a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan. 21
Coverage for a dependent child pursuant to this subdivision shall 22
terminate no earlier than the end of the calendar year during whichever 23
of the following occurs first, the date on which the child: Becomes 24
covered under a group health plan through the dependent's own 25
employment; or attains the age of twenty-six, (7) employees of the 26
Capital Region Development Authority established by section 32-601, 27
[and] (8) the surviving spouse and dependent children of any employee 28
of a municipality who dies on or after October 1, 2000, as the result of 29
injuries received while acting within the scope of such employee's 30
employment and not as the result of illness or natural causes, and whose 31
surviving spouse and dependent children are not otherwise eligible for 32
a group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan, and 33
(9) state marshals, as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (l) of this 34
section. For purposes of [this] subdivision (8) of this subsection, 35
"employee" means any regular employee or elective officer receiving 36
pay from a municipality, "municipality" means any town, city, borough, 37
school district, taxing district, fire district, district department of health, 38
probate district, housing authority, regional workforce development 39
board established under section 31-3k, flood commission or authority 40
established by special act or regional council of governments. For 41
purposes of subdivision (6) of this subsection, "firefighter" means any 42
person who is regularly employed and paid by any municipality for the 43
purpose of performing firefighting duties for a municipality on average 44
of not less than thirty-five hours per week. The minimum benefits to be 45
provided by such plan or plans shall be substantially equal in value to 46
the benefits that each such employee or member of the General 47
Assembly could secure in such plan or plans on an individual basis on 48
the preceding first day of July. The state shall pay for each such 49
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employee and each member of the General Assembly covered by such 50
plan or plans the portion of the premium charged for such member's or 51
employee's individual coverage and seventy per cent of the additional 52
cost of the form of coverage and such amount shall be credited to the 53
total premiums owed by such employee or member of the General 54
Assembly for the form of such member's or employee's coverage under 55
such plan or plans. On and after January 1, 1989, the state shall pay for 56
anyone receiving benefits from any such state-sponsored retirement 57
system one hundred per cent of the portion of the premium charged for 58
such member's or employee's individual coverage and one hundred per 59
cent of any additional cost for the form of coverage. The balance of any 60
premiums payable by an individual employee or by a member of the 61
General Assembly for the form of coverage shall be deducted from the 62
payroll by the State Comptroller. The total premiums payable shall be 63
remitted by the Comptroller to the insurance company or companies or 64
nonprofit organization or organizations providing the coverage. The 65
amount of the state's contribution per employee for a health 66
maintenance organization option shall be equal, in terms of dollars and 67
cents, to the largest amount of the contribution per employee paid for 68
any other option that is available to all eligible state employees included 69
in the health benefits plan, but shall not be required to exceed the 70
amount of the health maintenance organization premium. 71
(b) The insurance coverage procured under subsection (a) of this 72
section for active state employees, employees of the Connecticut 73
Institute for Municipal Studies, anyone receiving benefits from any such 74
state-sponsored retirement system and members of the General 75
Assembly, who are over sixty-five years of age, may be modified to 76
reflect benefits available to such employees or members pursuant to 77
Social Security and medical benefits programs administered by the 78
federal government, provided any payments required to secure such 79
benefits administered by the federal government shall be paid by the 80
Comptroller either directly to the employee or members or to the agency 81
of the federal government authorized to collect such payments. 82
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(c) On October 1, 1972, the Comptroller shall continue to afford 83
payroll deduction services for employees participating in existing 84
authorized plans covering state employees until such time as the 85
employee elects in writing to be covered by the plan authorized by 86
subsection (a) of this section. 87
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 88
the state shall pay for a member of any such state-sponsored retirement 89
system, or a participant in an alternate retirement program who meets 90
the service requirements of section 5-162 or subsection (a) of section 5-91
166, and who begins receiving benefits from such system or program on 92
or after November 1, 1989, eighty per cent of the portion of the premium 93
charged for his individual coverage and eighty per cent of any 94
additional cost for his form of coverage. Upon the death of any such 95
member, any surviving spouse of such member who begins receiving 96
benefits from such system shall be eligible for coverage under this 97
section and the state shall pay for any such spouse eighty per cent of the 98
portion of the premium charged for his individual coverage and eighty 99
per cent of any additional cost for his form of coverage. 100
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 101
vending stand operators eligible for membership in the state employees 102
retirement system pursuant to section 5-175a shall be eligible for 103
coverage under the group hospitalization and medical and surgical 104
insurance plans procured under this section, provided the cost for such 105
operators' insurance coverage shall be paid by the Department of Aging 106
and Disability Services from vending machine income pursuant to 107
section 17a-818. 108
(f) The Comptroller, with the approval of the Attorney General and 109
of the Insurance Commissioner, shall arrange and procure a group 110
hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan or plans for any 111
person who adopts a child from the state foster care system, any person 112
who has been a foster parent for the Department of Children and 113
Families for six months or more, and any dependent of such adoptive 114
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parent or foster parent who elects coverage under such plan or plans. 115
The Comptroller may also arrange for inclusion of such person and any 116
such dependent in an existing group hospitalization and medical and 117
surgical insurance plan offered by the state. Any adoptive parent or 118
foster parent and any dependent who elects coverage shall pay one 119
hundred per cent of the premium charged for such coverage directly to 120
the insurer, provided such adoptive parent or foster parent and all such 121
dependents shall be included in such group hospitalization and medical 122
and surgical insurance plan. A person and his dependents electing 123
coverage pursuant to this subsection shall be eligible for such coverage 124
until no longer an adoptive parent or a foster parent. An adoptive parent 125
shall be eligible for such coverage until the coverage anniversary date 126
on or after whichever of the following occurs first, the date on which the 127
child: Becomes covered under a group health plan through the 128
dependent's own employment; or attains the age of twenty-six. As used 129
in this section "dependent" means a spouse or natural or adopted child 130
if such child is wholly or partially dependent for support upon the 131
adoptive parent or foster parent. 132
(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, 133
the Probate Court Administration Fund established in accordance with 134
section 45a-82, shall pay for each probate judge and each probate court 135
employee not more than one hundred per cent of the portion of the 136
premium charged for the judge's or employee's individual coverage and 137
not more than seventy per cent of any additional cost for the judge's or 138
employee's form of coverage. The remainder of the premium for such 139
coverage shall be paid by the probate judge or probate court employee 140
to the State Treasurer. Payment shall be credited by the State Treasurer 141
to the fund established by section 45a-82. The total premiums payable 142
shall be remitted by the Probate Court Administrator directly to the 143
insurance company or companies or nonprofit organization or 144
organizations providing the coverage. The Probate Court Administrator 145
shall issue regulations governing group hospitalization and medical 146
and surgical insurance pursuant to subsection (b) of section 45a-77. 147
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(h) For the purpose of subsection (g) of this section, "probate judge" 148
or "judge" means a duly elected probate judge who works in such 149
judge's capacity as a probate judge at least twenty hours per week, on 150
average, on a quarterly basis and certifies to that fact on forms provided 151
by and filed with the Probate Court Administrator, on or before the 152
fifteenth day of April, July, October and January, for the preceding 153
calendar quarter; and "probate court employee" or "employee" means a 154
person employed by a probate court for at least twenty hours per week. 155
(i) The Comptroller may provide for coverage of employees of 156
municipalities, nonprofit corporations, community action agencies and 157
small employers and individuals eligible for a health coverage tax 158
credit, retired members or members of an association for personal care 159
assistants under the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) of this 160
section, provided: (1) Participation by each municipality, nonprofit 161
corporation, community action agency, small employer, eligible 162
individual, retired member or association for personal care assistants 163
shall be on a voluntary basis; (2) where an employee organization 164
represents employees of a municipality, nonprofit corporation, 165
community action agency or small employer, participation in a plan or 166
plans to be procured under subsection (a) of this section shall be by 167
mutual agreement of the municipality, nonprofit corporation, 168
community action agency or small employer and the employee 169
organization only and neither party may submit the issue of 170
participation to binding arbitration except by mutual agreement if such 171
binding arbitration is available; (3) no group of employees shall be 172
refused entry into the plan by reason of past or future health care costs 173
or claim experience; (4) rates paid by the state for its employees under 174
subsection (a) of this section are not adversely affected by this 175
subsection; (5) administrative costs to the plan or plans provided under 176
this subsection shall not be paid by the state; (6) participation in the plan 177
or plans in an amount determined by the state shall be for the duration 178
of the period of the plan or plans, or for such other period as mutually 179
agreed by the municipality, nonprofit corporation, community action 180
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agency, small employer, retired member or association for personal care 181
assistants and the Comptroller; and (7) nothing in this section or section 182
12-202a, 38a-551 or 38a-556 shall be construed as requiring a 183
participating insurer or health care center to issue individual policies to 184
individuals eligible for a health coverage tax credit. The coverage 185
provided under this section may be referred to as the "Municipal 186
Employee Health Insurance Plan". The Comptroller may arrange and 187
procure for the employees and eligible individuals under this subsection 188
health benefit plans that vary from the plan or plans procured under 189
subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding any provision of part V 190
of chapter 700c, the coverage provided under this subsection may be 191
offered on either a fully underwritten or risk-pooled basis at the 192
discretion of the Comptroller. For the purposes of this subsection, (A) 193
"municipality" means any town, city, borough, school district, taxing 194
district, fire district, district department of health, probate district, 195
housing authority, regional workforce development board established 196
under section 31-3k, regional emergency telecommunications center, 197
tourism district established under section 32-302, flood commission or 198
authority established by special act, regional council of governments, 199
transit district formed under chapter 103a, or the Children's Center 200
established by number 571 of the public acts of 1969; (B) "nonprofit 201
corporation" means (i) a nonprofit corporation organized under 26 USC 202
501 that has a contract with the state or receives a portion of its funding 203
from a municipality, the state or the federal government, or (ii) an 204
organization that is tax exempt pursuant to 26 USC 501(c)(5); (C) 205
"community action agency" means a community action agency, as 206
defined in section 17b-885; (D) "small employer" means a small 207
employer, as defined in section 38a-564; (E) "eligible individuals" or 208
"individuals eligible for a health coverage tax credit" means individuals 209
who are eligible for the credit for health insurance costs under Section 210
35 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent 211
corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time 212
to time amended, in accordance with the Pension Benefit Guaranty 213
Corporation; (F) "association for personal care assistants" means an 214
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organization composed of personal care attendants who are employed 215
by recipients of service (i) under the home-care program for the elderly 216
under section 17b-342, (ii) under the personal care assistance program 217
under section 17b-605a, (iii) in an independent living center pursuant to 218
sections 17a-792 to 17a-794, inclusive, or (iv) under the program for 219
individuals with acquired brain injury as described in section 17b-260a; 220
and (G) "retired members" means individuals eligible for a retirement 221
benefit from the Connecticut municipal employees' retirement system. 222
(j) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the 223
existing rights and obligations of state employee organizations and the 224
state employer under current law and contract shall not be impaired by 225
the provisions of this section. (2) Other conditions of entry for any group 226
into the plan or plans procured under subsection (a) of this section shall 227
be determined by the Comptroller upon the recommendation of a 228
coalition committee established pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-229
278, except for such conditions referenced in subsection (g) of this 230
section. (3) Additional determinations by the Comptroller on (A) issues 231
generated by any group's actual or contemplated participation in the 232
plan or plans, (B) modifications to the terms and conditions of any 233
group's continued participation, (C) related matters shall be made upon 234
the recommendation of such committee. (4) Notwithstanding any 235
provision of law to the contrary, a municipal employer and an employee 236
organization may upon mutual agreement reopen a collective 237
bargaining agreement for the exclusive purpose of negotiating on the 238
participation by such municipal employer or employee organization in 239
the plan or plans offered under the provisions of this section. 240
(k) The Comptroller shall submit annually to the General Assembly a 241
review of the coverage of employees of municipalities, nonprofit 242
corporations, community action agencies, small employers under 243
subsection (i) of this section and eligible individuals under subsection 244
(i) of this section beginning February 1, 2004. 245
(l) (1) Effective July 1, 1996, any deputies or special deputies 246
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appointed pursuant to section 6-37 of the general statutes, revision of 247
1958, revised to 1999, or section 6-43, shall be allowed to participate in 248
the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection 249
(a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary and the 250
participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such plan. 251
(2) (A) Effective [December 1, 2000] October 1, 2025, any person who 252
works as a state marshal less than twenty hours per week, on average, 253
on a quarterly basis, shall be allowed to participate in the plan or plans 254
procured by the Comptroller pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. 255
Such participation shall be voluntary and the participant shall pay the 256
full cost of the coverage under such plan. 257
(B) Effective October 1, 2025, any person who works as a state 258
marshal at least twenty hours per week, on average, on a quarterly basis 259
and certifies to that fact on forms provided by and filed with the State 260
Marshal Commission on or before the fifteenth day of April, July, 261
October and January, for the preceding calendar quarter, shall be 262
allowed to participate in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller 263
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such participation shall be 264
voluntary and the participant shall pay the same amount for coverage 265
under such plan under the same terms and conditions as employees in 266
the classified service covered under a prevailing collective bargaining 267
agreement negotiated in accordance with subdivision (1) of subsection 268
(f) of section 5-278. 269
(3) Effective December 1, 2000, any judicial marshal shall be allowed 270
to participate in the plan or plans procured by the Comptroller pursuant 271
to subsection (a) of this section. Such participation shall be voluntary 272
and the participant shall pay the full cost of the coverage under such 273
plan unless and until the judicial marshals participate in the plan or 274
plans procured by the Comptroller under this section through collective 275
bargaining negotiations pursuant to subsection (f) of section 5-278. 276
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 5-259(a) to (l)
Statement of Purpose:
To provide certain state marshals with health insurance benefits in the
same manner as other state employees.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]