Report Title:
Health Insurance Coverage; Public Employees; Emergency Hires
Description:
Requires the State and counties to provide health insurance to its emergency and temporary hires and part-time employees who work less than twenty hours a week who would otherwise not have health insurance coverage. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
3020 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to health insurance.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 87A-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definitions of "employee" and "part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee" to read as follows:
""Employee" means an employee or officer of the State, county, or legislature,
(1) Including:
(A) An elective officer;
(B) A per diem employee;
(C) An officer or employee under an authorized leave of absence;
(D) An employee of the Hawaii national guard although paid from federal funds;
(E) A retired member of the employees' retirement system; the county pension system; or the police, firefighters, or bandsmen pension system of the State or county;
(F) A salaried and full-time member of a board, commission, or agency appointed by the governor or the mayor of a county; and
(G) A person employed by contract for a period not exceeding one year, where the director of human resources development, personnel services, or civil service has certified that the service is essential or needed in the public interest and that, because of circumstances surrounding its fulfillment, personnel to perform the service cannot be obtained through normal civil service recruitment procedures,
(2) But excluding:
(A) A designated beneficiary of a retired member of the employees' retirement system; the county pension system; or the police, firefighters, or bandsmen pension system of the State or county[;
(B) Except as allowed under paragraph (1)(G), a person employed temporarily on a fee or contract basis]; and
[(C)] (B) A part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee.
"Part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee" means a person employed for fewer than three months [and] or a person whose employment is less than one-half of a full-time equivalent position."
SECTION 2. Section 87A-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[[]§87A-19[]] Plans for part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees. (a) The board [may] shall offer medical, hospital, or surgical benefits plans to part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees at [no] a shared cost to the employers[.] in accordance with section 87A-32. The board may [determine] exclude from eligibility [for] part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employees who already possess health insurance coverage through another employer or as a retirement benefit by rules exempt from chapter 91 as provided in section 87A-26.
(b) The board shall establish the medical, hospital, or surgical benefits plan or plans, which shall be exempt from the minimum group requirements of article 10A of chapter 431. The medical, hospital, or surgical benefits plan or plans shall provide, pay for, arrange for, or reimburse the cost of medical, hospital, or surgical services, and may include prescribed hospital in-patient and out-patient service and medical benefits.
(c) The board [may] shall contract for the medical, hospital, or surgical benefits plan or plans. Each part-time, temporary, and seasonal or casual employee enrolled for medical, hospital, or surgical benefits shall pay monthly contributions directly to the board's designated carriers. The monthly contributions may include the carrier's administrative costs."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.