The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4203
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. WEPRIN, JAFFEE, COLTON, RAIA, BENEDETTO, FAHY,
   DiPIETRO, BRONSON,  ORTIZ,  WOERNER,  SANTABARBARA,  BRABENEC,  ROZIC,
   MALLIOTAKIS, D'URSO, SMITH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABINANTI,
   DenDEKKER,  ENGLEBRIGHT,  GALEF,  GIGLIO,  GUNTHER, LAVINE, McDONOUGH,
   MONTESANO, PERRY, RA, RIVERA,  THIELE,  ZEBROWSKI  --  read  once  and
   referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees
 
 AN  ACT  to prohibit public employers from diminishing the health insur-
   ance 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:
 
   Section  1.  On  and  after  the  effective date of this act, a public
 employer shall be prohibited from diminishing the health insurance bene-
 fits provided to retirees, who retired before, on or after the effective
 date of this act, and their dependents or the contributions such employ-
 er 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 retiree's date of retirement.  For
 the purpose of this act, "public employer" shall mean the following: (i)
 the state; (ii) a county, city, town or village; (iii) any  governmental
 entity  operating  a college or university; (iv) a public improvement or
 special district including  police  or  fire  districts;  (v)  a  public
 authority,  commission  or public benefit corporation; or (vi) any other
 public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of government  which
 exercises  governmental  power  under  the laws of this state.  The term
 public employer shall not include any school district, board of  cooper-
 ative educational services, or vocational education and extension board.
   §  2.  Nothing  contained  in this act shall supersede or diminish the
 terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
   § 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this act to  the
 contrary,  a  public  employer  shall be prohibited from diminishing the
 health insurance benefits provided to  retirees  who  retire  after  the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD08418-01-9

 A. 4203                             2
 
 effective  date  of  this act from positions not subject to a collective
 bargaining agreement 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 active employees in
 such positions as of the retiree's date of retirement.
   § 4. Nothing contained in this act shall  require  a  public  employer
 which  does  not provide health insurance benefits to retirees and their
 dependents as of the effective date of this act to offer such benefits.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.