Senate Bill sb2406

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2406

    By Senator Saunders





    25-801-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to state retirees' health

  3         insurance; amending s. 112.363, F.S.; providing

  4         for a health insurance subsidy for the benefit

  5         of dependent children of persons retired due to

  6         disability; providing conditions on such

  7         subsidy; providing an effective date.

  8

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

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11         Section 1.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of section

12  112.363, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

13         112.363  Retiree health insurance subsidy.--

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

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

16  the defined benefit program of the Florida Retirement System,

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

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

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

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

21  health insurance subsidy payment equal to the number of years

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

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

24  eligible retiree or beneficiary may receive a subsidy payment

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

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

27  payment to which the retiree was entitled.  The health

28  insurance subsidy amount payable to any person receiving the

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

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

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2406
    25-801-02




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

  2  of the Public Employee Optional Retirement Program of the

  3  Florida Retirement System who has met the requirements of this

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

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

  6  a monthly retiree health insurance subsidy payment equal to

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

  8  subparagraph, completed at the time of retirement, multiplied

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

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

11  purposes of determining a participant's creditable service

12  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         3.  Notwithstanding other provisions of this section,

23  if a person who is retired because of disability and has not

24  continued health insurance after retirement has dependent

25  children, that person shall receive a monthly retiree health

26  insurance subsidy payment on behalf of each child for as long

27  as the child remains dependent on the retiree for financial

28  support. If there is more than one dependent child, the total

29  payment must not be greater than the payment to which the

30  retiree was entitled. The department shall require a retiree

31  to provide proof of health insurance coverage on his or her

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 2406
    25-801-02




  1  dependent children as a condition of eligibility for the

  2  subsidy payment authorized by this subparagraph.

  3         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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  6                          SENATE SUMMARY

  7    Provides for payment of the state health insurance
      subsidy for the benefit of dependent children of a state
  8    retiree who has retired due to disability but has not
      continued health insurance on his or her own behalf.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.