S 164

 BILL AS INTRODUCED  S.164
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1S.164
2 Introduced by Senator Watson
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Legislature; health insurance; State employees; State employees’
6health plan
7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to make
8 members of the General Assembly eligible for the same health benefits offered
9 to State employees.
10    An act relating to health benefits for members of the General Assembly
11 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
12 Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 631 is amended to read:
13 § 631. GROUP INSURANCE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES; SALARY
14DEDUCTIONS FOR INSURANCE, SAVINGS PLANS, AND
15CREDIT UNIONS
16    (a)(1) The Secretary of Administration may contract on behalf of the State
17 with any insurance company or nonprofit association doing business in this
18 State to secure the benefits of franchise or group insurance. The terms of
19 coverage under the policy shall be determined under section 904 of this title,
20 but it may include:
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2(2)(A)(i) As used in this section, the term “employees” includes any
3 class or classes of elected or appointed officials, State’s Attorneys, sheriffs,
4 employees of State’s Attorneys’ offices whose compensation is administered
5 through the State of Vermont payroll system, except contractual and temporary
6 employees, and deputy sheriffs paid by the State of Vermont pursuant to 24
7 V.S.A. § 290(b). The term “employees” shall does not include members of the
8 General Assembly as such, any person rendering service on a retainer or fee
9 basis, members of boards or commissions, or persons other than employees of
10 the Vermont Historical Society, the Vermont Film Corporation, the Vermont
11 State Employees’ Credit Union, Vermont State Employees’ Association, and
12 the Vermont Council on the Arts, whose compensation for service is not paid
13 from the State Treasury, or any elected or appointed official unless the except
14 as specifically provided pursuant to this subdivision (a)(2)(A)(i). The term
15 “employees” includes employees of the Vermont Historical Society, the
16 Vermont State Employees’ Credit Union, the Vermont State Employees’
17 Association, the Vermont Council on the Arts, and any elected or appointed
18 official who is actively engaged in and devoting substantially full-time to the
19 conduct of the business of the official’s public office. The term “employees”
20 also includes members of the General Assembly as set forth in subdivision (iv)
21 of this subdivision (a)(2)(A).
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2(iv) For purposes of group hospital-surgical-medical expense
3 insurance, any employee assistance program offered to State employees, and
4 any flexible spending account program offered to State employees for health
5 care or dependent care expenses, or both, the term “employees” includes
6 members of the General Assembly.
7(B)(i) The premiums for extending insurance coverage to employees
8 shall be paid in full by the Vermont Historical Society, the Vermont Film
9 Corporation, the Vermont State Employees’ Association, the Vermont State
10 Employees’ Credit Union, the Vermont Council on the Arts, or their respective
11 retirees. Nothing herein creates a legal obligation on the part of the State of
12 Vermont to pay any portion of the premiums required to extend insurance
13 coverage to this group of employees.
14(ii) Members of the General Assembly shall be required to pay the
15 same portion of the premium for group hospital-surgical-medical expense
16 insurance as is required of employees of the Executive Branch.
17***
18 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
19    This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027, and shall apply to coverage
20 beginning on and after that date.
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