Senate Bill sb1848

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848

    By Senator Sebesta





    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health insurance; amending

  3         s. 112.08, F.S.; redefining the term "local

  4         governmental unit" with respect to certain

  5         group insurance for public officers, employees,

  6         and certain volunteers; amending s. 112.363,

  7         F.S.; revising the minimum and maximum health

  8         insurance subsidies; revising the contribution

  9         paid by employers of state-administered

10         retirement plans; authorizing the Department of

11         Management Services to contract for an

12         actuarial study on providing for a statewide

13         retiree health insurance program; providing a

14         statement of significant state interest;

15         providing effective dates.

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17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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19         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 112.08, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         112.08  Group insurance for public officers, employees,

22  and certain volunteers; physical examinations.--

23         (1)  As used in this section, the term "local

24  governmental unit" means any county, municipality, community

25  college district, school board, or special district or any

26  county officer listed in s. 1(d), Art. VIII of the State

27  Constitution.  The term "local governmental unit" also means

28  regional benefit cooperatives of two or more counties,

29  municipalities, community college districts, school boards, or

30  special districts.

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1         Section 2.  Effective January 1, 2004, subsections (3)

  2  and (8) of section 112.363, Florida Statutes, are amended to

  3  read:

  4         112.363  Retiree health insurance subsidy.--

  5         (3)  RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDY AMOUNT.--

  6         (a)  Beginning January 1, 1988, each eligible retiree

  7  or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent

  8  thereof shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance

  9  subsidy payment equal to the number of years of creditable

10  service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time

11  of retirement multiplied by $1; however, no retiree may

12  receive a subsidy payment of more than $30 or less than $10.

13         (b)  Beginning January 1, 1989, each eligible retiree

14  or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent shall

15  receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment

16  equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined

17  in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement

18  multiplied by $2; however, no retiree may receive a subsidy

19  payment of more than $60 or less than $20.

20         (c)  Beginning January 1, 1991, each eligible retiree

21  or a beneficiary who is a spouse or financial dependent shall

22  receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment

23  equal to the number of years of creditable service, as defined

24  in s. 121.021(17), completed at the time of retirement

25  multiplied by $3; however, no retiree may receive a subsidy

26  payment of more than $90 or less than $30.

27         (d)  Beginning January 1, 1999, each eligible retiree

28  or, if the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary who is

29  receiving a monthly benefit from such retiree's account and

30  who is a spouse, or a person who meets the definition of joint

31  annuitant in s. 121.021(28), shall receive a monthly retiree

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1  health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years

  2  of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed

  3  at the time of retirement multiplied by $5; however, no

  4  eligible retiree or such beneficiary may receive a subsidy

  5  payment of more than $150 or less than $50. If there are

  6  multiple beneficiaries, the total payment must not be greater

  7  than the payment to which the retiree was entitled.

  8         (e)1.  Beginning July 1, 2001, each eligible retiree of

  9  the defined benefit program of the Florida Retirement System,

10  or, if the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary who is

11  receiving a monthly benefit from such retiree's account and

12  who is a spouse, or a person who meets the definition of joint

13  annuitant in s. 121.021(28), shall receive a monthly retiree

14  health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years

15  of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17), completed

16  at the time of retirement multiplied by $5; however, no

17  eligible retiree or beneficiary may receive a subsidy payment

18  of more than $150 or less than $30. If there are multiple

19  beneficiaries, the total payment must not be greater than the

20  payment to which the retiree was entitled. The health

21  insurance subsidy amount payable to any person receiving the

22  retiree health insurance subsidy payment on July 1, 2001,

23  shall not be reduced solely by operation of this subparagraph.

24         2.  Beginning July 1, 2002, each eligible participant

25  of the Public Employee Optional Retirement Program of the

26  Florida Retirement System who has met the requirements of this

27  section, or, if the participant is deceased, his or her spouse

28  who is the participant's designated beneficiary, shall receive

29  a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to

30  the number of years of creditable service, as provided in this

31  subparagraph, completed at the time of retirement, multiplied

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1  by $5; however, no eligible retiree or beneficiary may receive

  2  a subsidy payment of more than $150 or less than $30. For

  3  purposes of determining a participant's creditable service

  4  used to calculate the health insurance subsidy, a

  5  participant's years of service credit or fraction thereof

  6  shall be based on the participant's work year as defined in s.

  7  121.021(54). Credit shall be awarded for a full work year

  8  whenever health insurance subsidy contributions have been made

  9  as required by law for each month in the participant's work

10  year. In addition, all years of creditable service retained

11  under the Florida Retirement System defined benefit program

12  shall be included as creditable service for purposes of this

13  section.

14         (f)1.  Beginning January 1, 2004, each eligible retiree

15  of the defined benefit program of the Florida Retirement

16  System, or, if the retiree is deceased, his or her beneficiary

17  who is receiving a monthly benefit from such retiree's account

18  and who is a spouse or a person who meets the definition of a

19  joint annuitant in s. 121.021(28), shall receive a monthly

20  retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number

21  of years of creditable service, as defined in s. 121.021(17),

22  completed at the time of retirement multiplied by $7; however,

23  no eligible retiree or beneficiary may receive a subsidy

24  payment of more than $210 or less than $42.  If there are

25  multiple beneficiaries, the total payment must not be greater

26  than the payment to which the retiree was entitled.  The

27  health insurance subsidy amount payable to any person

28  receiving the retiree health insurance subsidy payment on

29  January 1, 2004, shall not be reduced solely by operation of

30  this subparagraph.

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1         2.  Beginning January 1, 2004, each eligible

  2  participant of the Public Employee Optional Retirement Program

  3  of the Florida Retirement System who has met the requirements

  4  of this section, or, if the participant is deceased, his or

  5  her spouse who is the participant's designated beneficiary,

  6  shall receive a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy equal

  7  to the number of years of creditable service, as provided in

  8  this subparagraph, completed at the time of retirement,

  9  multiplied by $7; however, no eligible retiree or beneficiary

10  may receive a subsidy payment of more than $210 or less than

11  $42.  For purposes of determining a participant's creditable

12  service used to calculate the health insurance subsidy, a

13  participant's years of service credit or fraction thereof

14  shall be based on the participant's work year as defined in s.

15  121.021(54).  Credit shall be awarded for a full work year

16  whenever health insurance subsidy contributions have been made

17  as required by law for each month in the participant's work

18  year.  In addition, all years of creditable service retained

19  under the Florida Retirement System defined benefit program

20  shall be included as creditable service for purposes of this

21  section.

22         (8)  CONTRIBUTIONS.--For purposes of funding the

23  insurance subsidy provided by this section:

24         (a)  Beginning October 1, 1987, the employer of each

25  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

26  contribute 0.24 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

27         (b)  Beginning January 1, 1989, the employer of each

28  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

29  contribute 0.48 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1         (c)  Beginning January 1, 1994, the employer of each

  2  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

  3  contribute 0.56 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

  4         (d)  Beginning January 1, 1995, the employer of each

  5  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

  6  contribute 0.66 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

  7         (e)  Beginning July 1, 1998, the employer of each

  8  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

  9  contribute 0.94 percent of gross compensation each pay period.

10         (f)  Beginning July 1, 2001, the employer of each

11  member of a state-administered plan shall contribute 1.11

12  percent of gross compensation each pay period.

13         (g)  Beginning January 1, 2004, the employer of each

14  member of a state-administered retirement plan shall

15  contribute    percent of gross compensation each pay period.

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17  Such contributions shall be submitted to the Department of

18  Management Services and deposited in the Retiree Health

19  Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund.

20         Section 3.  The Department of Management Services is

21  authorized to contract for an actuarial study to determine the

22  feasibility of implementing a statewide health insurance

23  program for retirees from the Florida Retirement System.

24         Section 4.  The Legislature finds that a proper and

25  legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees

26  of the state and of its political subdivisions, and the

27  dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and

28  retirees, are extended the basic protections afforded by

29  governmental retirement systems that provide fair and adequate

30  benefits that are managed, administered, and funded in an

31  actuarially sound manner, as required by section 14, Article X

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    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 1848
    16-1196A-03                                         See HB 471




  1  of the State Constitution and part VII of chapter 112, Florida

  2  Statutes.  Therefore, the Legislature determines and declares

  3  that this act fulfills an important state interest.

  4         Section 5.  Except as otherwise provided herein, this

  5  act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

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